Tipping The Scales
by BlueBell765
Summary: Set before season 3. Riley is frustrated with the perpetual balancing act the triangle has imposed on her life. Will a trip with her friends help break the cycle? Or will she push Lucas away and into the arms of her best friend? How can things ever be even when Riley feels so off kilter? Can she figure out a way to balance the scales without losing everything? Rucas. Minor Zaya.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Starting a new story! Think of this as a quick prologue for an idea that has been rumbling around in my head for quite a while now. As usual, I'm picking a point out in girl meets world history and taking it in a different direction from the show. This one is set between season 2 and season 3. Once again, I'm playing with the triangle because I can't seem to let this storyline go, even though I absolutely hate it. I don't know when I'll be able to update again, maybe next weekend, but I am hoping for longer updates to make up for them not being as close together.**

 **Any who, I own nothing. Please review if you feel so inclined. It really does make writers want to write.**

Riley hated to admit it, but she couldn't wait for summer to be over. It wasn't that she was excited for high school. Actually, she was dreading the big changes going to a new school would entail. She didn't want to get lost in the hallways or meet new teachers or take a foreign language. She didn't want to have classes with kids older than her or even start contemplating colleges or majors or real life at all.

As horrible as it sounds, Riley wanted summer to be over because she couldn't stand spending so much time with her friends.

She loved her friends. She really did. They were probably the closest group of friends in the history of the world. They had literally spent every day together since school got out, pretty much from the minute they woke up until the minute they went to bed.

The six of them would spend long days having movie marathons sprawled out in the theater room at Farkle's. They would go to Topanga's and talk over coffee and muffins all day, almost like the college students from NYU, who would spread out in the back with their laptops and their thesis statements, only leaving the bakery to go smoke clove cigarettes that left the air smelling stale and sweet all at once.

They spent weekends going to movies or musicals or concerts or museums. The Minkus family had hired a personal driver for Farkle for the summer, so the only limitations they had were their imaginations and their own curfews.

It was fun, exploring the city she lived in for so long with the people she loved. It was especially fun to take Zay and Lucas to tourist trap places they had all grown bored of, like Time Square or the Statue of Liberty, and see it through the eyes of someone who wasn't a native to New York, someone who hadn't been there more times than they could count before the age of 5.

On particularly hot days, they would splash around at the beach or go to the water park, riding slide after slide. She would often end up alone, laying out with her big sunglasses on and earbuds in, pretending she was in a whole different world full of warmth and sunshine, watching her friends like she was watching a movie, an outsider to their merriment.

Riley knew how lucky she was to have the friends she did, to have the opportunity to have all sorts of adventures with them. Most people would kill to see Broadway shows and beautiful artwork whenever they wanted to, but still she was growing tired of it. It had nothing to do with the activities. It was entirely the company, two people specifically. The other two points in her very own pointy triangle.

The worst of it was, it was all her fault. If she wouldn't have lied to Lucas in Texas or if she would have been better at hiding her feelings, she wouldn't be stuck in this constant seesaw with Maya, evening things up and keeping things fair. Late at night when sleep alluded her, she played out countlessly ways she could have stopped all this before it started. She would have imaginary conversations with Lucas, where he would fall all over himself, claiming he loved her and only her, in a thousand different locations, times, and ways.

Sharing everything from her bay window to her family to her boyfriend with her best friend made her feel like she had lost a part of herself along the way. She wasn't just Riley anymore. She was MayaAndRiley! Never one without the other. One half of a whole person. If she showed up early to meet up with her friends, it was inevitable that someone would ask, "Where's Maya?"

If she came home for dinner, her own parents would ask, "Where's Maya?"

She loved Maya. More than anything in this world. She hated herself a little bit for resenting her, but she couldn't help but wonder why Riley, just Riley, never seemed to be enough for anyone. Not even Lucas.

Lucas. If she were being perfectly honest, he was the main reason she wanted summer to be over. It was Lucas who insisted they all couldn't be just friends. It was Lucas who almost kissed Maya in Texas. It was Lucas who made her feel all these things for him and then in turn made her best friend feel the same.

And it was Lucas, who agreed to date both of them, to care for both of them equally as much. If he said something nice to Riley or Maya, he said something nice to the other girl. Every single special moment they had shared since May had been tainted by the fact that he had either already had a special moment with Maya or was going to have to have one with her later.

After the whole month of June spent in limbo, she was exhausted, pushed past her breaking point. So when Farkle's family invited them all to spend the week of the 4th of July in the Hampton's, her excitement was quickly tempered by dread at the thought of spending a whole week in a house without having even a small break from the roller coaster ride.

A small part of her had hoped that her father's protectiveness would kick in and she wouldn't be allowed to go so far away with three boys. Mr. and Mrs. Minkus had known her parents since childhood and had quickly reassured Cory that there would be plenty of supervision from not only them but also the staff at the house, chefs, chauffeurs, and housekeepers, who would all be aware of the children and their hormones at all times.

When they first came up with the equality plan, she thought it was ingenious. No one would get hurt because they were being fair and diplomatic, but she never anticipated it would still be going on this long. Honestly, she thought Maya would get bored and move on to the next thing, or Lucas would man up and declare his feelings for one over the other.

But every day that went by and neither one of them said anything was a day where Riley questioned whether or not she should be the one to break away. Maybe this jealous feeling in the pit of her stomach would ease up a bit if she knew she no longer had a chance with Lucas, if he belonged to Maya exclusively. Maybe she was the only one who felt the weight of the triangle pressing on her chest day in and day out. Maybe Lucas didn't feel as strongly for her as she did for him if he could go all this time just going along with everything like

She knew as much as she wanted to throw her hands up in defeat, she couldn't get off the ride. She tried that in Texas, to step back for Maya to have what she wanted, the happiness she deserved. She didn't have it in her to step back again. She loved Lucas. Real, true, romantic, love. Big, scary, messy, love. She had to see this to the end even if it ended badly for her, but she knew she had to protect her own heart, even if just a little. She had to prepare herself for Lucas to realize what everyone else eventually saw, that Riley, just Riley, wasn't good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, mature enough. She just wasn't enough.

So, she did her best to stop having moments with Lucas. If they didn't share anything intimate or special, he didn't have to even it up with Maya. More importantly, she wouldn't have to watch him even it up with Maya. She wouldn't have to feel two inches tall when they gazed into each other's eyes or when he told Maya he loved her smile because he had said he loved how she laughed.

Any time he attempted any closeness with her, she made sure it seemed platonic, so innocent that Maya didn't feel threatened, that she didn't have to request her turn.

It seemed to work, like the day they went and watched a scary movie a Farkle's. She started to grab for Lucas' arm when the zombie attacked, but she stopped herself. She pulled back from him when he reached for her hand, knowing she would be terrified, and leaned into Smackle who was sitting on the other side of her. Sure, Smackle acted like she was insane and promptly refused to sit next to her during any movies from that point on, but she didn't have to watch Maya cling to Lucas.

She started getting closer with Zay and Smackle, so she wouldn't feel lonely when it was Maya's turn to sit next to Lucas. She found out she and Zay had similar tastes in music, so during long drives she would often volunteer to sit next to him, an earbud in one ear so he could use the other.

She stopped asking for Lucas to even things up in hopes that Maya would stop asking, too. She pointedly ignored when Lucas told Maya her dress was nice the night they went and danced to live Latin music in the park. She pretended not to notice how closely they danced together, trying not to make sure she was within the same distance when it was her turn to dance with him.

After one dance in which she felt like she had held her breath the entire time, wondering if because her arms were longer than Maya's did that mean she was further from him because it was easier to wrap her arms around Lucas' neck or if it was because Lucas had wanted to be closer to Maya, she claimed Zay as her dance partner for the remainder of the night, claiming she wanted to learn the authentic Latin moves that he had learned in his dance classes. She did everything she could to not look their direction as Zay guided her hips to the salsa beat.

The only problem was Maya didn't stop asking for balance. If anything, Maya made sure to ask more on her own behalf, and she'd even taken to asking on Riley's behalf as well. Every day Maya seemed to come up with more and more ridiculous ways that Lucas was being unfair to them from how long they interacted to whose jokes he laughed at to where they sat at dinner. Her persistence and tenacity made Riley realize that she was just as invested in this as she was, that she had just as much potential to get hurt as she did. Her heart hurt, and she didn't know if it was for herself or for Maya at this point.

It was much too much for Riley. Her head was spinning with it all, and whenever Lucas looked at her helplessly, she felt like she had no choice but to go along with Maya. Their sisterhood solidarity was the only way they were going to get through this unscathed, she couldn't turn her back on it now. She knew that even if she didn't have Lucas in the end, she would always have Maya, and she would do whatever it took to protect that.

Riley tried to shrug it off when Maya insisted that she sit next to Lucas on the way to the Hampton's to make up for all the times she got to sit with him, but Lucas seemed insistent as well. She didn't know how to beg off without making it seem like she genuinely didn't want to sit next to him. Sometimes she wondered if Lucas was jealous at the time she had been spending with Zay because he even jokingly claimed she had to even up the attention she was giving his best friend with him.

She tried to laugh it all off and agreed to sit next to him, but Maya had glared daggers in his direction at the insinuation about her and Zay, so the laughter quickly died her throat. She felt awkward standing there between the two of them, literally and figuratively.

Needless to say, Riley was definitely ready for a break. Even as she packed her bags for the week long trip and kissed her parents goodbye, she was making a plan to feign sickness or to maybe convince her mom to come pick her up midweek.

She thought if that didn't work, maybe when they got back she could ask her parents if she could go to Philly to visit her grandparents. As long as Maya didn't insist on coming with her because if she asked, Riley couldn't tell her no. Especially if it stopped Maya from being alone with Lucas in New York.

God. She couldn't even come up with a plan to get away from it all because getting away from Lucas and Maya would only push the two of them closer together. She definitely didn't want to worry about the things she would imagine them doing while she was gone, surely her imagination would be worse than the reality, but what was she to do?

She couldn't keep going the way they were going. Her insides were twisted up in knots, and her heart felt like it would break in two if she had to watch Maya hop on Lucas' back one more time. Then, she, of course, had to deal with the overwhelming guilt brought on by feeling the way she was feeling.

She had never had so many negative feelings toward Maya. She was her best friend, her sister, the single most important person in her entire universe. Maya wasn't doing this to intentionally hurt her. Maya was entitled to her feelings, too, and she deserved her own happiness. How horrible of a friend could she be that she didn't want Maya to feel that joyous feeling she got when Lucas stared deep into her eyes?

How was she ever going to survive this week? And if she couldn't survive this week, how was she going to survive this triangle?

Riley didn't know a lot, but she knew one thing for sure; by the time this week was over, she would figure out a way to either move forward or move on. With or without Lucas.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Okay, first off, as always thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I really appreciate the support. Secondly, I want to be very clear. This is not a Ziley story. Trust me. Later everything will make sense.**

 **So, here's chapter two. I am pretty surprised I had the chance to write today, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Sunday, June 29th 8:30 p.m.**

Since it took a little over two hours to get to the Minkus beach house without traffic, they had all agree to spend the night at Farkle's and get an early start in the morning. Since it was a holiday week and New York always seemed to have an influx of tourists, especially during the summer, the drive could sometimes take up to four hours, five if there was a wreck or construction.

Riley and Maya had been to the beach house a few times when they were younger, but usually the whole Matthews family came, and they never stayed for more than a long weekend. This would be the first time they made the trip without Corey, and Maya was pretty excited to see what they could get away with without his seemingly omnipresent instinct to sniff out her bad ideas. She had been concocting a plan to sneak out, but Riley wasn't having any of it. Maya knew in the end Riley would come with her, but she wasn't quite sure what they would do once they snuck out.

Receiving yet another text from Maya about her plan, Riley realized she better get a move on. She had put off going to Farkle's penthouse for as long as possible, but by the time she got there it would being going on 9 o'clock, so she couldn't put it off any longer.

She was on the subway, desperately juggling her large duffle bag, her over-sized purse, and her beach bag, when a sudden stop caused her to stumble. Before she could fall, however, two hands reached out and grabbed her, pulling her down. She landed on a soft, yet firm, familiar, lap.

"We have to stop meeting like this," Lucas said with a laugh, his one bag pressed against his side, safe and secure on the seat next to him.

Time stopped for a moment as Riley looked deep into his mesmerizing green eyes, remembering the two times she ended up in this exact position. She closed her eyes tight, trying to block the memories, as she subconsciously licked her lips, thinking about the one sweet kiss they had shared.

Lucas zeroed in on her pink little tongue and gulped, having the same memories floating around in his head. Unlike Riley, he relished in those memories; he wanted to hold on to them, not block them out. He wanted to make more of those memories, but it felt like every day he was slipping further and further from that possibility and he didn't know how to stop it. He felt like he was on a carousel, the constant up and down and round and round. The spinning never seemed to stop, and it was making him sick.

He allowed her to slide off his lap, replacing her with his bag and helping her adjust her many bags so they both could sit comfortably, shoulder to shoulder.

"We are only going to be gone for a couple days, Riles," he said as he gestured to her luggage, all of which were stuffed to the point of bursting.

"A whole week! We won't be back until Sunday morning, and I like to have options. I'm hoping Maya brought extra clothes in case we need to swap..."

She trailed off as Lucas quietly chuckled next to her. He held up his hands in defeat. "What are you doing on this subway anyway? I thought you would have gone to Farkle's hours ago!"

"Me?" Lucas asked. "How about you? Weren't you supposed to be there for dinner?"

Riley brushed her hair behind her ear. "It took a little longer to pack than I intended," she murmured, eyes darting away with embarrassment. "What's your excuse?"

" The only way I could get my parents to agree to this week was if I spent today at home. I had to wait until after dinner to even start packing. My mom wanted to spend some time to with me before we left. She said I have been a ghost all summer."

Riley laughed. "We have been monopolizing a lot of your time these past couple weeks."

Lucas shook his head. "I'm not complaining. I love spending time with you, Riley."

He leaned in closer, trying to make eye contact, but Riley broke the spell as quickly as she could. "I love when all six of us can get together. This vacation will be fun for all of us. I worked a little at the bakery this weekend, so I would have my own money to go shopping with the girls."

Lucas sighed, rubbing his neck. For the past few weeks, it felt like every time he got close to Riley, all she did was push him away. It was one step forward and two steps back. While he cared about Maya a great deal, he never wanted to lose what he had with Riley. He felt like he was already losing her, piece by piece.

Despite Lucas' best efforts to talk to her, they made the rest of the way in relative silence. She was polite and attentive, but settled for one or two word answers and didn't really ask him a lot of questions. Finally he gave up, idly scrolling through facebook on his phone.

He stopped abruptly when he came across a picture on his newsfeed from the other night. The caption read _Best Dancers Eva!_ with a few winking emojis and a heart. It showed Zay and Riley in an embrace, him dramatically dipping her, her head thrown back in a wild laugh.

It was up to 45 likes from friends and family, and the few comments he read all mentioned what a "cute couple" they made. His heart sank. He clicked to look at Zay's profile, scrolling down to notice a lot of interaction between him and Riley over the past three weeks.

Every update Zay made Riley had liked and commented on. She had tagged him in funny memes and shared youtube videos with him. Clicking on Riley's name, he saw that Zay had responded in kind. He had shared vines with her and sent her gifts in some weird game the two of them were playing. He scrolled through their pictures, noticing that even in shots of the whole group those two always seemed to be close to one another. He zoomed in on a picture of the whole group at the beach, Riley's head resting on Zay's shoulder, looking at the camera, but Zay was laughing and looking down at her, oblivious to everyone else around them. How had he not noticed this before?

He wanted to ask her what was going on between her and Zay, but he didn't think he could. He was scared to hear Riley say she had feelings for Zay. He was even more afraid she would throw the triangle in his face. He had no right to question her intentions with his best friend when he couldn't explain his intentions with hers.

How did things get so complicated? Was this triangle turning into a square right before his very eyes?

As the subway slowed down to a stop at the station where they had to get off, Lucas shoved his phone in his front pocket. He stood up, grabbing his own bag and all of hers, except for her purse. She gave him a small smile of gratitude, but didn't say a word.

Desperate to hear her voice, he said the first thing that came to his mind. "Where's Maya?" he asked over his shoulder as they stepped off the subway car.

He turned to look at her when she didn't immediately respond to see an exasperated expression on her face.

She let out a frustrated sigh, putting the strap of her purse more firmly on her shoulder. "How should I know? I'm not her wife! She is probably already at Farkle's."

She stomped off ahead of him, while he awkwardly stumbled behind her before balancing the bags better, putting his smaller bag with her beach bag on one side and her large duffle on the other. He caught up to her at the top of the steps.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked as they started walking the five blocks to the Minkus building.

Riley stopped and turned to look at him, causing him to stop as well and face her, sensing this conversation mattered.

"Did it every occur to you, to anyone, that Maya and I are not attached at the hip? We are two separate people with two separate lives! I don't always have to know where she is or what she is doing every second of every day! We don't always do everything together! I am my own person with my own life and my own-"

She cut herself off, taking a breath to calm down. She started again, her voice taking on a forced tone as she resumed walking. "Sometimes, it's exhausting feeling like one half of a duo, all the time every day."

"I don't see you that way, Riley. I really don't. I just asked because I assumed you knew."

Riley rolled her eyes. "You know what they say about assuming, Lucas."

He nodded, laughing. "I'm usually an ass anyway... Riley, you are your own person. I know that. I don't ever want you to think-"

But Riley wasn't listening to him. She had rushed off ahead, running excitedly into another man's arms. She and Zay were still hugging and talking a mile a minute about a contestant on a show they both watched.

He cleared his throat, they both stopped talking and turned to look at him, and Zay's eyes widened in surprise. "Hey, Luke. I didn't realize you were there."

Lucas gave Zay a tight smile as Zay awkwardly untangled himself from Riley under his friend's intense gaze. "I guess everybody is running late today."

Zay shook his head. "Riley text me and told me she was on her way. I came out to help her with her bags, but I see you have that covered."

Lucas clenched his jaw, forcing himself not to comment. He had no right to be jealous. She and Zay were just friends. Even if they weren't, he still had no right. Not when he had smelled Maya's hair to make up for liking the way Riley's smelled. Not when he couldn't hold Riley's hand without having to hold Maya's later.

The three friends took the elevator up to the top floor, where Frank relieved Lucas of the bags he was carrying. Frank worked for the Minkuses, but Lucas wasn't quite sure what his title was. He seemed to always be there whenever Farkle needed anything, and he rarely spoke to anyone.

Most days it was Frank who drove them around town, except on Fridays. That was his day off. On Fridays they had been driven by a number of random employees. Once an intern from the office drove them to the beach, but she spent most of the time on her cell phone and Farkle begged his father to keep their drivers to house staff from then on.

The girls loved Frank. If Maya wasn't sitting next to him, she would sit next to Frank, playing with the radio and having conversations with him, pretending he would answer. While Maya was pretty in your face about it, Riley was more subtle. She always made sure to buy Frank a chocolate vanilla swirl cone when they went out for ice cream, and she would talk to Frank, too. But with Riley, she didn't pretend anything. She would just keep talking. She would show him pictures on her phone of rescue animals and tell him stories about her little brother.

Actually, one of the few times Lucas had heard Frank talk, besides answering direct questions from Farkle, was when Riley had slipped and fallen the day they had all went bowling. Frank, who was a rather large man, was over to her like a shot, quietly asking her if she was okay. He had murmured something else that Lucas didn't catch, but it had made Riley laugh softly.

Riley hardly ever sat next to Frank, but when she did, she would turn the radio to an oldies station, and Frank would always smile gently at her as she sang in a sweet voice.

"Hi, Frankie!" Riley said, giving him a small wave. He nodded at her, while simultaneously glaring at the two boys. For some reason the whole Matthews clan called him Frankie, but he definitely did not allow the boys to do so.

Farkle, Maya, and Smackle appeared behind Frank, all three already dressed in their pajamas. Riley quickly raced upstairs to put hers on, leaving Lucas and Zay to follow quietly after her. When they reached the landing, they went in the door to the left, Farkle's room, while Riley went to the door on the right, the guest room, which had been personalized and decked out for the three girls over the course of the last few weeks. The room wasn't quite as big as Farkle's, but it had a large bathroom connected to it with a vanity that all the girls envied.

With the door closed safely behind them, Lucas quickly turned to Zay. Before he could stop himself, he asked, trembling with anger, "What the heck is going on with you and Riley?"

 **P.S. "Frank" is Frankie from Boy Meets World. I can imagine Corey helping him get a job with Minkus just like he helped Harley get a job at the school.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I was almost done with this chapter, and then my computer crashed and I lost my latest draft. I am trying to make sure I didn't miss any changes I made, but who knows?  
I am super shocked I had time to write this week, but I also have been so inspired by the encouragement, the words have been flowing a lot easier!  
** **Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! Hopefully this chapter will shed some light on Zay and his thought process.  
Also, I have nothing against Harry Styles. I just googled "hot actors" and his picture came up. I thought he looked like someone Maya would make fun of. ****Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Sunday, June 29th 9:30 p.m.**

Lucas has lost his mind. That was Zay's initial thought. He even raised the back of his hand to feel his forehead. Wait, that was for a fever.

"What are you doing?" Lucas asked, smacking Zay's hand away.

"I thought you were delirious!" Zay shouted, turning to put his pajamas on. After he got dressed, he turned back to Lucas, who was still standing around fuming, arms crossed, glaring at Zay.

"This conversation isn't over, Isaiah."

"Isaiah? What is your problem, Lucas?" he asked, tossing his bag to the side.

"My problem is you! What is going on between the two of you?"

Zay shook his head, laughing. "We're friends, Luke!"

"Do you have feelings for her?" Lucas pressed.

Zay couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You have some nerve! Are you serious right now? After what you have put that girl through, you have no right to ask me that!"

Lucas ran a hand through his hair as he began to get his own pajamas out. "I know I don't have the right, but I'm asking anyways." He sighed, feeling deflated. "Please, Zay. If you have feelings for Riley... I need to know."

Zay waited for Lucas to change, gesturing for Lucas to sit down next to him on the couch. Zay tried to be careful with his words. "I care about Riley. No matter how this whole mess shakes out, I will be there for her. I won't let her be hurt any more than she already has been."

Lucas nodded. He wasn't quite satisfied with that answer, but he knew it was all he was going to get. At least Zay didn't declare his undying love, even though he didn't exactly deny having feelings for Riley.

"Go downstairs. The girls are 'like totally super excited' to give Smackle her first authentic girls night sleepover before high school."

Lucas left the room before he had a chance to make things even worse with his oldest friend. Zay, on the other hand, wondered what his best course of action was. He thought maybe if he told Riley about this conversation, they could all get what they want.

But after what happened two weeks ago, he didn't want to do anything to make things worse.

 _The gang had decided to go to Jung Sik in Tribeca because he and Lucas had never tried Korean food, which was a travesty according to the girls. The place was a little pricey, so the girls wanted to get all dressed up and insisted the boys do the same._

 _As per usual, the triangle reared its ugly head. Farkle was going to take Smackle on a romantic carriage ride through the park before dinner, and Riley thought that sounded like a lovely idea. The minute she said so, Lucas jumped at the chance to say they all could take carriages._

 _Then the great debate of who got to ride with Lucas began, although Maya seemed to being doing most of the debating. Riley nodded at all the right intervals, and Luca just simply agreed with what the girls came up with. Somehow or another it was decided that Maya would ride with Lucas, so Riley asked him to ride with her._

 _Zay was more than happy to ride with Riley, although if he were being perfectly honest, he thought it was rather unfair that it was Riley's idea and somehow it led to Maya having a beautiful moment with Lucas. Personally, he would have rather spent time with Maya because they had far more in common._

 _The night of the dinner he decided to meet Riley at her place because he wanted to pick a tie that would match her dress. When he knocked on her bay window, because although he had gotten more comfortable going in and out the window it was rude not to knock, he found her in a gorgeous hunter green dress, hair done up in curls, piled high on top of her head, her face a mess of tears._

 _"Oh, Candy Cane, what's wrong?" Zay asked._

 _He grabbed her face, using his thumbs to wipe away the tear tracks on her cheeks. Riley was breathing hard and sniffling, too upset to talk._

 _"Calm down, sweetie. Take a breath and tell your old pal Zay all about it."_

 _Riley laughed, which seemed to help her get herself under control. Grabbing a couple tissues, she carefully wiped her cheeks and eyes, trying not to mess up her makeup. "It's really silly."_

 _"If you are this upset, it can't be too silly."_

 _"My Uncle Shawn came to town for a visit, and we were all talking about our plans for the night. When he found out about Lucas taking Maya on the carriage, he broke out into a huge grin and offered to take her shopping so she could blow his socks off!" The last word came out in a huge sob, and her crying came back in full force._

 _Zay shook his head and rubbed her back in small soothing circles. "Honey, it doesn't matter what Maya is wearing. One look at you and his jaw will be to the floor. You look fabulous!"_

 _Riley gave him a half hearted smile. "That's not the worst part! Everyone, including my parents, thought it was a wonderful idea! When she came back and modeled the dress, they all clapped and told her he was going to be blown away. When they finally realized I was standing there, they tried to backtrack, but I could see it."_

 _"See what?"_

 _Riley stood up, standing front of the mirror to touch up her makeup. Staring at her own reflection, she whispered. "He is going to choose her. Everyone knows it."_

 _Zay stood up and came behind her. "No one knows what he is going to do. Heck, Lucas doesn't even know what he is going to do."_

 _When Riley was sure she had salvaged her face, she turned around. "Exactly. If he was going to pick me, wouldn't he already know? We have had a thing for each other all throughout middle school. He knows exactly what he gets with me, but Maya, she's intriguing and he's obviously intrigued by her. I should just back out now, and let them two be happy."_

 _Zay put a hand on each of her shoulders, making sure she was looking in his eyes. "Don't do that. You did that in Texas, and he still didn't kiss her. He still was hesitant to be with her, even when you weren't an option. Just see this through until the end, okay? You owe it to yourself... And to Lucas and Maya for that matter...to try."_

 _Riley blinked rapidly to stop another flow of tears. "What if I can't? What if I'm not strong enough?"_

 _Zay shook his head. "I don't believe that for a second, but if you want to feel weak for a bit, I'm right here."_

 _He patted his own shoulder. "This broad shoulder is perfect for leaning on."_

 _Riley sighed over-dramatically, placing a hand on her forehead, before letting her head fall onto his shoulder. "I suppose it will do."_

 _They both laughed. He grabbed the deep green tie from the stack of ties in his bag, and she changed purses to use her black clutch and black heels to match his button up shirt and slacks. She took one last look in the mirror, using her fingertips to fix a smudge around her eye._

 _"How do I look?" Riley asked, turning towards him with a twirl of her dress._

 _"Like a princess," Zay responded with a smile._

 _They walked arm in arm, talking in exaggerated "fancy" accents, giggling the entire way. When they got to the park, everyone was already there, and Riley was grateful she didn't have to see Lucas' reaction to seeing Maya for the first time in her little black dress._

 _Lucas opened his mouth and said, "Wow, Riley, you look stunning."_

 _Riley smiled about to reply, when she noticed the satisfied smirk on Maya's face. Realizing he was just balancing out whatever compliment he'd given to her earlier, she clamped her mouth shut. She turned helplessly to Zay, who immediately picked up on her distress and why. He was quick to save her, hopping in front of her with a deep bow._

 _"Milady, would you bestow me the greatest honor of allowing me to accompany you on this horse-drawn carriage."_

 _Riley gave a very clumsy curtsy. "Why, it would be my pleasure, good sir!"_

From that night on, Zay had been Riley's rock, her sounding board for all things triangle, the things she couldn't tell Maya or Lucas she was thinking or feeling. He did his best to reassure her, but he also didn't fill her up with meaningless platitudes about everything working out or any such nonsense. She got enough of that from everyone else.

His main job was making her smile, and anytime she was having a rough day, he offered his shoulder. When Lucas or Maya were being particularly cutesy or difficult, she would place a hand or her head on his shoulder, and he would know without her saying anything that she needed saving.

It was nice to have something that just belonged to the two of them, their own inside joke. From there, they had developed a genuine friendship all their own, separate from the group. It was nice feeling like he could protect her, like he was her big brother.

But as Zay walked down stairs to meet up with the rest of his friends, he thought maybe he couldn't protect her from this. So, he decided not to tell her about his conversation with Lucas. Although he thought Lucas was clearly jealous and that could mean he wanted to pick Riley, he didn't want to give her false hope.

He would just have to use this new found information to his advantage, and the advantage arose right away. Lucas was sitting on the couch with Maya to his left and Riley to his right. Zay leaped onto the couch, squeezing in on the other side of Riley. She was quick to move over, but Lucas didn't budge.

"Uh, Lucas, would you mind moving over a scootch so I can sit down, too?"

"Why don't you go sit on the chair?" Lucas growled out.

"Don't be silly, Lucas! There's plenty of room! Just scoot!" Riley laughed.

"Yeah, Lucas, don't be silly!" Zay said with a wink.

Lucas glared at Zay, but inched a little closer to Maya. Riley looked back and forth between both boys, feeling like she was missing something as Zay put his arm across the back of the couch.

Riley looked questioningly at Zay, a look that didn't go unnoticed by Lucas. Zay simply tapped his shoulder, and Riley nodded, needing no further explanation. Lucas' eyebrows furrowed in confusion. They had their own secret code? How had he missed this?

Riley had learned over the past couple weeks to trust Zay. The shoulder was almost as sacred as the rings she and Maya wore. She leaned in to touch her forehead against her shoulder to let him know that she understood and she trusted him. She was pulled out of the spell when Lucas scoffed loudly and jumped off the couch.

Maya, who had been so busy joking around with Farkle and Smackle she had no idea want was going on, jumped up after him. "What's with you, Ranger Rick?"

He looked from Maya to Riley to Zay's wide grin. He sighed, rubbing his neck and shaking his head. "I'm fine. Let's just go get some snacks."

He grabbed Maya's hand, Riley's eyes zeroing in on the contact, watching helplessly as he led her to the kitchen.

"Hey Sugar, want to play a game?"

Maya thought her arm might come out of her socket with the force Lucas was using as he yanked her to the large pantry.

"Hands off the merchandise, Sundance!" Maya shouted, pulling her arm back and rubbing her shoulder. "What the heck is going on?"

Lucas let out a huge breath. "Is something going on between Riley and Zay?"

"Wait! What?" Maya shook her head, blinking rapidly. "That is what this is all about?" she asked incredulously.

She burst out laughing for a second before the ramifications of his freak out hit her. "Why is this driving you so crazy?"

"Wouldn't it be driving you crazy? If your best friend and your, your, person were messing around behind your back?"

Maya's eyes grew wide in disbelief. "She is! Right in front of my face!"

Maya shrunk back, having a moment of stark realization. She was the one who acted that way. Riley had been upfront and honest about her feelings until Texas, but even then Maya didn't really believe her. Farkle didn't either. No did, except for Lucas. "Or... I did it to her. We did it to her."

Lucas and Maya stared at each other, both speechless, letting each other's words and actions sink in. Maya fell back to lean against the shelves, sinking down to the floor. "Why do things keep getting so complicated?"

Lucas slowly came down to sit next to her. "I don't know. I hate that I keep hurting her. Both of you. This whole thing started because I didn't want to hurt anyone, and now I am worried that there won't be anything left of us."

Maya nodded with understanding. "I don't know how Riley and Zay feel about each other, but I do know that if Riley has turned to Zay, it's because we have pushed her in that direction... I mean, she went on a romantic carriage ride with him! And they were wearing matching outfits!"

"They were?" Lucas asked in shock, trying to remember what Zay even looked like that night. Riley's dark green dress stood out clear as day in his mind.

Towards the end of the night, she had unpinned her long brown hair, and the curls stood out brilliantly against the sheer fabric of her dress. He had wanted to tell her so, but couldn't come up with the words. Frankly, he didn't think he could make it right with Maya either because what could he possibly say to make it even, when Riley looked like the most beautiful creature he had ever seen?

Finally, he remembered Zay's green tie, and his eyebrows furrowed. No way was that a coincidence.

"And when we went to the Fiesta, we danced all night, so she was stuck learning to salsa with him!"

Lucas grew even more agitated as he remembered that night. He was so nervous dancing with Riley. The scent of her hair was filling his nostrils and he wondered how it always smelled just as fruity and fresh as the first time he met her. Their dance seemed to last a moment and forever all at once.

Before he could blink, Maya had been guided back to his arms, and Riley was giggling about genuine Spanish moves. He had shrugged it off at the time, but looking back on it, did Riley feel as forced into Zay's arms as he had felt into Maya's?

Maya stood up determined. "You know what the problem is? We haven't been even at all! I have been too selfish. You have to even it up, and you have to do it during this trip. I'll spend some time with Zay, so Riley won't feel like she is abandoning him. That's just what we'll do! You have to do something to make up for the dinner, the dancing, all of it! These past couple weeks, Riley has been so kind and giving, and we have taken advantage! Just make things even again and everything will be fine!"

With that, Maya strode out of the pantry, confident her plan would work. Suddenly, Lucas felt exhausted, more exhausted than he had felt in a long time. Their plan of handling the triangle had seemed like such a good idea when it started, but how do you compare what's even? A simple look shared with Riley made him feel so much. Did he just share a look with Maya? Or did he try to replicate that feeling?

His head hurt. All he wanted to do was think, but instead he found himself gathering the snacks all by himself, fully intending on going along with Maya's plan. He had to make things right with Riley. What other choice did he have?

When he finally made it back to the game room, the girls were all sprawled out on the floor with sleeping bags and pillows and magazines. Maya was braiding Smackle's hair, and Riley was laying on her stomach reading Zay a quiz to find out which 'Hollywood Heartthrob' was his perfect match.

Riley was laughing so hard. When was the last time she had laughed at him like that?

"Your heartthrob is... Harry Styles!" She shrieked before a fresh peel of giggles exploded out of her.

Zay, who was spread across the couch, a game controller in hand, rolled his eyes, not even glancing away from the TV screen. "Harry would be lucky to have me!"

Farkle had a controller in his hand, too. Lucas started to reach for it before he noticed Maya, gesturing with her head so wildly towards Riley he thought she would get whiplash. Setting all the snacks on the coffee table but one, he went and sat next to Riley.

"Here," he said, handing her the red gummies Farkle always made sure he had as he crossed his legs, craning his neck to read the magazine in front of her. "Who is _your_ heartthrob?"

He gazed deep into eyes and swore his own heart started to throb as he waited for her answer.

She blinked and glanced down at the magazine.

"Uh...Liam Hemsworth. Swoon," she said with a smile, pointing to a picture in the magazine. "Do you want to take the quiz?"

Lucas nodded. He spent the next several minutes making Riley laugh by taking the quiz far too seriously, debating every answer to every question. He made sure to take note of Riley's answers to some of the more interesting questions.

"So what's the verdict?" he asked.

"You guys are still doing that quiz?!" Zay called over from the couch. "It took me like two minutes!"

"What can I say? I take matters of the heart seriously."

Despite his best efforts to hold it in, Farkle had to scoff at that. Lucas shot him a look, but the girls pointedly ignored him. They had gotten good at pretending not to see and hear things for the sake of keeping up with the triangle.

Finally, Riley had finished tabulating his score. She grinned. "Looks like you got Liam, too! Are we going to have to fight over my man, Friar?"

Lucas leaned in, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "I may just have to fight him for you."

Riley blushed, but quickly glanced at Maya, trying to gage her reaction. Seeing nothing but encouragement there, Riley let out a quiet sigh. Obviously something happened in the kitchen between the two of them. Lucas was just trying to even it up.

"Who did you guys get?"

Farkle and Smackle both said, "Nick Jonas."

"Maya?"

"I got Drake."

"Peaches..."

"I got Drake!" she insisted.

"Honey..."

Maya sighed before mumbling, "I got stupid Harry Styles..."

Riley patted her head, running a soothing hand through her hair. "There, there, peaches. It will be okay."

"I got Drake," she pouted.

"Sure you did, sweetie."

"Boo!" Zay said, throwing popcorn at the girls.

Everyone laughed, and Lucas had a hard time reigning in his jealousy. Zay had no problem deciding how to act around the girls. He did whatever he felt at the time, and both girls seemed receptive to him. Neither asked for more than he was willing to give or looked at him and found him lacking.

As the night wore on, Lucas did his best to keep his attitude in check. It wasn't Zay's fault he was in this mess, and he was already formulating a plan to get back in Riley's good graces. They might not know it now, but he had made a decision that night. Sitting next to Riley as she laughed and joked with their friends, suddenly everything he ever wanted was perfectly clear.

He just had to figure out a way to get it without causing too much destruction in his wake.

* * *

 **AN: And that's chapter 3! What do you think? I didn't waste time having Lucas come to the decision that he wanted Riley because in my opinion "it has always been Riley since day one," so the threat of someone else would be the kick in the pants he needs. We will have a couple more flashbacks in upcoming chapters to flesh out the weeks leading up to the trip, but from here on out the focus will be on the Hamptons and what happens there. See you soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: This is insane for me! This story is practically writing itself at this point! I want to thank everyone for the reviews! You all are so insightful, funny, and encouraging! To those of you who want Riley to confront some people, you're going to have to wait a little bit, but trust me, it's all going to come to a head! Heck, we haven't even made it to the beach, yet! There is so much more to the story, and everyone has a different perspective! Keep in mind that there is a difference between what is actually happening and what people perceive to be happening! No one is on the same page quite yet! Anyway I have rambled enough! Chapter 4!**

 **4 chapters in 1 week! I definitely won't be able to keep up this pace for long, so hopefully you have some other good Rucas stories to read.**

* * *

 **Monday, June 30th 7:10 a.m.**

Riley woke up early in the morning and headed straight for the shower. Her mind was already going a mile a minute, thinking about everything that happened last night. Lucas had been very flirty and touchy-feely and, for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what had possibly happened between him and Maya to equal that amount of attention. Surely, if they had gone on a date this weekend while she was working, Maya would have told her.

She took her time in the shower, shaving her legs and washing her hair. She closed her eyes and let the water flow over her face, trying to psyche herself up for the trip ahead. She felt like she was a can of soda that everyone kept shaking and shaking; it was only a matter of time before someone makes her explode all over the place.

Again, she felt conflicted because she was doing everything she could to be reasonable, to keep her feelings in check, but it was getting harder by the second. Last night, Maya was doing Smackle's hair, so Lucas decided to "braid" hers so she could be a part of the girly fun. While he was a horrible braider, feeling him run his fingers through her hair over and over again was heavenly.

She had wanted to lean back onto his chest and just fall asleep, but she couldn't help being aware of Maya and picturing him with his hands tangled up in her blonde locks instead of her brown ones left a sick feeling way down deep in the pit of her stomach. After that, it was much harder to enjoy the moment.

Then they all put mud masks on, even the boys, because makeovers were a perfect example of girls night activities. Lucas looked so cute covered in green goo as she rubbed exfoliating cream on his hands. Even though she felt guilty, she rubbed the cream in for twice as long as the bottle recommended, just so she could keep his hands in hers.

The night seemed to be going so well. Everyone was getting along and joking around, and Lucas felt like he was hers, just hers, again. She thought it was the perfect night until it was time to go to bed.

The girls hugged each of the boys in turn as they went into their separate rooms. Riley didn't mean to, but she counted Mississippis the entire time Maya and Lucas were hugging. She got to 6 Mississippi before she heard Lucas whisper good night in Maya's ear, letting her go. Try as she might, she couldn't remember how long they had hugged just moments before. It could have been 1 Mississippi or 100 Mississippis, it still didn't feel long enough.

The girls went to their room, Smackle taking the top bunk while Riley and Maya folded the bottom futon down to make a bigger bed for them to share. While Smackle quietly snored, Maya grilled her about Zay and Lucas. It was very disconcerting.

Why would Maya think she had feelings for Zay? Was she hoping that if she moved on, she would get to keep Lucas all for herself? Was she jealous of all the attention Lucas had paid her? Or was she just tabulating how much attention was owed her way?

She had tried to think of a way to ask her questions without starting an argument or sounding insecure, but by the time she came up with the perfect thing to say, Maya had fallen asleep. Sleep alluded her for most of the night and even a shower couldn't put an end to her grouchiness.

Knowing in a few hours they would be at the beach, she simply braided her hair in a messy side ponytail, letting it fall over her shoulder. She kept her makeup simple and decided to put on her bathing suit, a two-piece pink bikini that made her feel like a grown up, with a white ribbed tank top and some black Capri yoga pants over it. Satisfied that she would be comfortable for the drive, she went about the awful task of waking up Maya while Smackle took her turn in the shower.

* * *

 **Monday, June 30th 9:30 a.m.**

Finally, everyone was down at the van with all their bags stuffed in the trunk. Like Riley, the girls had opted to wear their bathing suits, but Smackle had a casual cotton dress over hers and Maya was wearing cut-off jean shorts and a white vest left open revealing her baby blue bikini top.

The boys were all wearing gym shorts and T-shirts, and everyone was wearing flip-flops, except for Zay who said real men didn't put things in between their toes. Frank slammed the lid of the trunk shut and gestured for everyone to get in the van. The van was large enough to fit 9 people, including the driver, with two rows of two-seater benches and the back row being a long three-seater bench.

Smackle and Farkle claimed the backseat as theirs, Zay took the middle bench, and Lucas took the front bench. Maya would usually sit up front with Frank when she wasn't sitting next to Lucas, so she could control the radio and turn around to talk to Riley. Today, however, she climbed in back and sat next to Zay.

"Okay if I sit with you today? I might need someone to nap on," Maya said, winking at Zay.

Zay moved over and patted the space next to him. "Sure thing, sweetheart."

Lucas awkwardly rubbed his neck, waiting for Riley decide where she wanted to sit. She was standing at the back of the van, having a conversation with Frank about stopping at the bakery to grab some breakfast. His chest tightened, thinking she may just decide to sit in the front seat. They had at least a three-hour trip ahead of them, and he really wanted to spend it talking to her.

He peeked his head out the sliding door. "Riles, you can sit next to me if you want..."

A piece of her braid had fallen out, and she ducked her head as she brushed it behind her ear. "Are you sure? Because Maya-"

"Is sitting next to Zay," he interrupted, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"Really?!" She asked, her eyebrows raised in shock. Maya had never sat next to Zay before.

"Is that okay with you, honey?" Maya asked, her own head poking out of the van now.

Riley looked back and forth between the two of them, once again feeling like she was missing a vital piece of information.

"Sure. You can sit wherever you want, Peaches," Riley said, climbing into the van and taking her seat next to Lucas.

Before they even made it to the bakery, Smackle and Farkle were immersed in a Brain Training app on their tablets, taking advantage of the van's built-in wifi. Maya offered her right earbud to Zay, and the two of them started binge-watching Glee on Netflix on her tablet.

Frank stopped in front the bakery, where Topanga was waiting outside with a big bag of freshly-made scones, bagels, muffins, and 2 drink holders, each cup had one of their names on it, including a large one saying Frankie with a heart drawn over the i. Frank rolled down his window and began passing out the food and drinks as Topanga came over to Riley's side.

"Sweetie, I hope you can relax and have fun this week."

"I will, Mom," Riley said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm serious. Your father and I agreed to this trip because we trust you _and_ because we know you need a break. So much has happened..." Topanaga trailed off, realizing she couldn't say what she wanted to in front of the other kids. "Just know that we love you very much, and if you need to talk, my cell phone is always on."

Riley nodded, not making eye contact as Lucas looked on curiously. He had noticed a definite frostiness from Riley towards her parents for the past couple weeks, but anytime he asked her about it, she just shrugged it off.

He was worried about her, and he could tell her mom was, too.

"Thanks for the food, Mrs. Matthews," he cut in. "We all really appreciate it."

All the other kids responded similarly after a pointed glare from Lucas. Frank said thank you quietly as well, and they were back on the road. Lucas waited until everyone else had gone back to what they were doing, and when Riley reached for her own tablet, he put out a hand to stop her.

Riley stared at the hand that was holding hers, stopping her from moving. She flashed back to the night before when he had grabbed Maya's hand. Did it stop her heart? Did he feel electricity shooting down his veins? Did he feel it now?

She looked up at him to find him staring at her, gently smiling. "I thought maybe we could talk, for a bit? If that's alright with you?"

Riley slowly pulled her hand away and put her tablet back in her purse. Nodding, she asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

His smile grew at her words. "Anything. Everything. Whatever you want."

"Oh, um..." Riley looked around shyly. She felt very put on the spot. Usually she would say whatever came to mind, but lately she had been monitoring her words so much, she was having difficulty coming up with things to say.

"Okay...Well, can I ask a question?" Lucas asked.

Riley giggled. "You just did, but I guess you can ask another one."

Lucas looked back to double check that everyone was distracted. Zay and Maya were both fast asleep, leaning against each other, the tablet propped on Zay's knees. Farkle and Smackle were watching a documentary and quietly debating the topic. Most of the quiet words between the geniuses were over his head, so he figured they were too engrossed in their discussion to pay attention to him and Riley.

"Why are you so mad at your parents?"

"I'm not mad at my parents," her response was so immediate, he knew it couldn't be true.

Lucas raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"I'm not! I'm just...frustrated."

Lucas leaned closer to her. "With what?"

Riley opened her mouth, closed it, licked her lips, and opened her mouth again. She swallowed once before shaking her head. "I can't talk about this with you."

"Why not? I thought we could talk about anything."

"Not now. Not about her," she subtly gestured with her head in Maya's direction.

"I just want to help," Lucas said, pressing further. "Let's pretend we aren't talking about her. Let's pretend we're talking about your other friend. Marsha."

"And Louis," she cut in with a laugh.

"Louis has something to do with this, too?" Lucas asked, knowing that she meant him and feeling even worse than he did before. First he got between her and her best friend, now he was causing problems with her family?

"See why I can't talk about it?"

"Sure we can!" He rested the palm of his hand against his chin. "Now tell me all about what that jerk Louis did to you, and I'll go beat him up."

Riley laughed. "It's not his fault!"

"Good, Louis is a pretty tough guy. I don't know if I could take him."

She grinned at him. "I don't know. I hear you're built like a horse."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Story time! What's going on with Marsha?"

"My dad's best friend is dating Marsha's mom, which is great. I am really happy for her that she is getting everything she ever wanted. But..."

He nodded for her to continue.

She glanced back at Maya to make sure she was sleeping. "My Uncle Shawn also wants Marsha to get everything she ever wanted, including Louis."

She shook her head, let out a sigh, and said, "I can't talk about this. I feel stupid."

It felt like someone had punched him in the gut. He grabbed her hand, leaning down to look her in the eyes. "You are _not_ stupid. Tell me what happened."

Riley felt tears pin-pricking her eyes and she forced them back, hoping he wouldn't notice. "Since Shawn has never had a family of his own, my parents have been pushing this whole togetherness thing. I don't know... Shawn is definitely team...Lousha, and it's starting to feel like everyone, even my own parents are against me."

She finally looked up at Lucas, her eyes glazed over with unshed tears, her voice falling to a whisper. "Am I missing something? Because I don't see why everyone thinks you'd be so miserable with me..."

Lucas grabbed her chin. "Did anyone say that to you?"

Riley shook her head. "Not in so many words..."

"Riley, believe me, I would be the luckiest guy in the world if I was with you."

Riley's eyes widened, and she jerked her face out of his hand to look over at Maya.

"No," he said, gently guiding her back to look at him. "Look at me. This isn't about her. You need to talk to your parents. Get their side of the story. If you feel like they aren't supporting you, you deserve to know why, and they deserve to have the chance to explain themselves."

Riley nodded solemnly.

"As for the rest of it... Whenever you start feeling like everyone is against you, no matter what the circumstances, know that I have your back. I am always on your side. Always, Riley."

They stared into each other's eyes, slowly leaning into one another. Maya let out a snort before rolling over to fall even farther into Zay's lap, still sleeping all the while. The noise was enough to bring Riley back to her senses, and she pulled away, blushing. She glanced around the van awkwardly for a moment, trying to convince herself that what she thought was about to happen was actually not about to happen.

"You okay now, Riles?" Lucas asked.

Riley gave him a gentle smile. "Want to watch the Mets game with me? I stole my Grandpa Allen's MLB password."

Lucas scooted even closer to her, propping her tablet against his knees, forcing her to lean against him so they could share the earbuds.

"Stealing, Ms. Matthews? You are quite the rebel!" he teased with a wink.

She playfully shoved him, his arm coming up to shield his body. When his arm came back down, it was around her shoulders, gently guiding her to lean into his side even more. Riley's first instinct was to glance back at Maya, but she forced herself to ignore the impulse, instead snuggling down to get comfortable with her head on his chest, mindful to keep her earbud in.

She closed her eyes as she listened to the announcers give out the starting lineups. Before long, Lucas had taken her hair tie out and let her braid untangle, running his hands through her now wavy locks. The movement soothed her to sleep, her last thought wondering if she had been dreaming all along.

* * *

 **AN: So what did you think? I am hoping I have a bit of time this weekend, but you never know. Next chapter, we should make it to the beach and maybe figure out what Farkle has been thinking... He has been awfully quiet, hasn't he?**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Nothing like having a sick kid sleeping all day to get some writing done! This is just a short filler chapter to explain what's going on with Farkle and to set things up for the trip! Let me know what you think! Thanks so much for your continued support and reviews! Seriously, every time I get one, it puts a smile on my face and makes me want to put another chapter out!**

* * *

 **Monday, June 30th 11:50 a.m.**

Everyone had fallen asleep in the van besides Farkle and Lucas.

"Should we stop for lunch, Mr. Minkus? We are making pretty good time." Frank called to the back.

Lucas shifted his body, careful not to wake the girl sleeping on him, so he could talk to Farkle as well.

"Let's just keep going. I'll text the staff and make sure they have some sandwiches and things ready. The girls are anxious to get to the beach, and I don't want to wake them," he said, already scrolling through his phone to text the head of staff at the summer home, Grace.

Frank nodded, turning the music back up. Lucas now had his back against the window, one leg propped up against the back of the seat, with Riley laying in between his legs and across his stomach. He spared a glance to the middle seat. Zay had woken up at one point in time and took out their earbuds.

He now had his arm around Maya, their heads resting against each other. Maya's mouth was hanging open, and her body was turned so her legs were curling up against Zay's lap. Lucas quickly snapped a picture and posted it to Instagram. Choosing a filter, he captioned it #RoadTrip, tagging Zay and Maya in the picture.

Farkle noticed what he was doing, craning his neck to get a look at the kids in front of him. He was also careful not to jostle the girl who had her head in his lap as she laid out across the entire backseat.

"Look at your instagram," Lucas said.

Clicking the app on the phone in his hand, Farkle smiled at the picture. "Maya's going to kill you."

Lucas simply shrugged. The boys made small talk about the trip. Lucas had never been to the Hamptons, so Farkle was telling him all the things they could do and all about the house right on the beach.

The whole time Farkle was speaking, Lucas was idly playing with the ends of Riley's hair and stroking her arm, smiling down at her.

Farkle noticed he didn't have his friend's full attention. He wanted to comment on it, to ask about Zay's role in all this. Looking at his newsfeed, Zay had seemed to pop up a lot with Riley and now he was sleeping with Maya?! Farkle could _not_ handle a love rhombus.

He wanted to say something, anything, to Lucas, but he remembered what had happened a couple weeks ago...

 _Farkle was really excited because his parents had finished up the girls' guest room. His whole life he struggled to make real friends, and now he had five best friends, one of which was his girlfriend, and he wanted to spend as much time with them as possible before they got to high school. His father had already warned him that people lose touch in high school. Stuart told him that he didn't even see Corey, Shawn, or Topanga the vast majority of their high school careers because he had taken an interest in starting his business, taking as many classes in science, economics, and business as he could._

 _Farkle wanted to ensure that this was the best summer of their lives, just in case something similar happened to them._ _He begged his parents to let them stay over, and after much debate about guy/girl sleepovers at their age, they finally agreed. If the girls slept in a different room._

 _So with the help of Frank, he had done some shopping to try to make the room across the hall from his into the perfect place for the girls. Now that it was all ready, they were going to have a scary movie marathon in his theater room, and everyone could stay the night. Even Smackle's parents agreed!_

 _The only thing that could, and most likely would, ruin the great time was the triangle. School had let out a week ago, and the girls had a discussion, coming to the conclusion that they would both date Lucas until such a time that a better decision could be reached, doing everything they could to keep things even and fair all the while._

 _Farkle told Lucas this was a horrible idea. He knew from experience how difficult it could be to love the girls equally in a romantic way. He was so lucky to have found Smackle, partially because she was perfect for him, and partially because he could continue loving Riley and Maya equally as friends._

 _He had the chef make buttery popcorn, and Frank took him to the store to buy so much junk food they were all sure to have a stomach ache in the morning. He had every single Texas Gutsuckers movie ever made and the Zombies Ate My Parents trilogy._

 _He was surprised that Riley had quickly agreed to watch the scary movies, but then again Maya and Lucas loved scary movies. Lately everything felt like a competition between the two friends. What made matters worse is they both flat out denied they were even competing._

 _He knew it was getting to Riley. It had to be. Maya tended to be the center of attention most of the time as it is, so she had little trouble getting Lucas to take notice of her. All she had to do was grab his shirt or stand up on a desk, and all eyes were on her. She was loud and in your face, and she found her way into the spotlight without even trying._

 _To be fair, Lucas was always aware of Riley, tried to always be considerate of her, but she was so selfless, she let Maya take over most of the time, pretending to be okay with hiding in the shadows. What worried him is that Maya seemed to be letting her. The smaller Riley made herself, the bigger Maya seemed to grow. It was confusing, and he fully intended to confront Maya about it soon._

 _Honestly though, Farkle didn't see the attention Lucas showed Maya as being indicative of romantic interest. He was amused by her antics, sure, but weren't they all? He didn't think Riley saw it that way though._ _He had watched her enough times since Texas to know she was hurting and trying her best to hide it._

 _He, Smackle, and Zay had decided to do their best to remain neutral and supportive, but he had known the girls his whole life. He couldn't help but want to protect them, especially from each other._

 _So, when everyone arrived, he was very mindful of everything going on. They sat in a row in the movie theater seat. Farkle, Smackle, Riley, Lucas, Maya, and finally Zay at the end. Farkle immediately lifted the arm between him and Smackle, so they could get cozy and share a blanket._

 _Lucas lifted the armrest between him and Riley, but she scooted over closer to him and Smackle. By the time the first movie was over, Lucas was visibly upset. Every time he tried to get closer to Riley or comfort her when she was scared, she would move away. By the end of the movie she was practically in Smackle's lap!_

 _Smackle asked him if they could move to the row of seats in front of Zay and Maya so she could get away from Riley because she wasn't due for any "lesbian experimentation" for another 5 years._

 _He shook his head, laughing, but followed her down the step and over to the seats she had indicated._

 _Riley pretended this was part of a plan to switch up seats and asked Zay to swap. Zay looked at her like she had grown a separate head, but agreed right away._

 _From his new vantage point, he couldn't watch Riley, but he did notice that the armrest between Maya and Lucas had been lifted at some point. He got up, pretending he had to go to the bathroom, and noticed that Riley definitely noticed that detail. She had one eye on the movie and the other glued to the couple next to her._

 _When Farkle returned to the movie, Riley was nowhere to be found. He asked Smackle and she shrugged, saying Riley was in the bathroom._

 _Farkle got up to go check on her, waving off Lucas as he started to stand. "I'll take care of it."_

 _When Farkle finally found her, she was sitting on the futon in the girls' room, brushing her hair. She had changed into pajamas and washed her face as well. He could tell she had been crying._

 _"What's going on, Riley? Why are you pushing Lucas away?"_

 _She looked up, trying to hide her shock. "Nothing, and I'm not. I'm just a little tired. I figured I would get ready for bed."_

 _"You're lying to me. I can tell you've been crying," Farkle accused._

 _Riley shook her head. "You don't get it, Farkle."_

 _"Explain it to me then."_

 _"I can't!" she yelled, standing up. "I can't tell you anything!"_

 _"You can tell me everything, Riley." He felt like she had slapped him in the face. "We're best friends."_

 _"Why would I tell you anything, knowing you'll just blab it to everyone," she spit out._

 _"What is that supposed to mean?" Farkle asked, getting upset._

 _"It means you knew how I felt about Lucas, and you told everyone!"_

 _Farkle grabbed her hand. "I did the right thing. Friends shouldn't lie to each other, and I gave you plenty of time to tell them the truth yourself."_

 _She yanked her hand away. "You know what else friends don't do? Humiliate each other! I was so embarrassed on that rooftop! You blurted out my most intimate feelings in front of the whole class! And now you want me to confide in you about a situation you helped to create? What did you think was going to happen when you butted in like that?"_

 _Farkle blinked. "I thought you guys would work things out."_

 _"How? Maya would just say okay and walk away? And Lucas and I would just go skipping off into the sunset?"_

 _Shrugging, Farkle mumbled, "Pretty much."_

 _Riley scoffed. "For a genius, you sure act stupid sometimes!"_

 _He went to sit on the futon, fully expecting her to come sit next to him so they could talk everything through and reach a solution together. "I'm not sorry for what I did, but I am sorry for how I did it. I should have used more tact, but, Riley, I couldn't stand to see you so miserable then and don't like seeing you miserable now. I just want everyone to be happy. Tell me what I can do to help."_

 _Riley walked over to the door, hand on the knob, back to him, she turned only her face to give him a sideways glance. "The only thing you can do to help is stay out of it, Farkle. I don't want you making things worse."_

 _With that, she stormed out the room, leaving Farkle to contemplate her words all by himself. He walked into his room and put on his own pajamas, debating what to do next._

 _He never realized how much his actions hurt Riley. He genuinely thought both Maya and Lucas would acknowledge the fact that Riley and Lucas were a better match. He believed that this would all be over that night on the rooftop. He couldn't see any outcome when it seemed so obvious to him that Riley and Lucas belonged together. Had he known that this ridiculousness would still be going on six months later, he would have handled things differently._

 _Walking back into the theater, he announced, "Riley and I decided we would be more comfortable in our pajamas!"_

 _The gang thought it was a great idea, and everyone left to put their pjs on, leaving Riley and Farkle alone again._

 _He came to sit down next to her. "I am sorry, Riley. I never wanted to hurt or humiliate you. To prove to you that I hear you and I understand your pain, I promise I will stay out of this and let you make your own choices."_

 _Riley nodded. "Thank you, Farkle."_

 _"Can you forgive me?" he asked, giving her a hug._

 _She shook her head. "I'm not ready yet, Farkle. But I am trying to forgive you. If you can keep your promise to me, it will go a long way for us to rebuild some trust."_

 _Farkle pulled back, staring her in the eyes, hands on her shoulders. "I promise you, I will never give you a reason to doubt or distrust me ever again, Riley. I will stay out of it."_

Despite wanting to confront Maya with every fiber of his being, Farkle had kept his word. He found himself keeping quiet more than anything. He didn't want anything he said or did to be perceived as butting in. He took his promise to Riley very seriously, even though it was killing him inside.

He knew the girls were tying themselves up in knots, trying to do what was best for the each other. Some days, he wanted to punch Lucas in the face, which was an unusual feeling he had never felt before.

"Lucas, we are all going to have fun this week, right?" he asked carefully, once he made sure Riley was still sleeping.

Lucas snapped out of his daze and looked up to meet his eyes. "I will do my best."

Farkle glared at him. "Well, lately your best hasn't been good enough."

Lucas had the decency to look shame-faced. "I know, Farkle."

He looked over at Zay and Maya, who had turned in their sleep and were spooning, curled up with Maya's back to Zay's front, legs tangled together. Zay had one arm wrapped around Maya's stomach, and he was using the other as a pillow for both of them. Both of them had sleepy smiles on her face, and Lucas couldn't resist snapping another picture. This one he text to Farkle instead of sharing it with the world.

Lucas gave him a wide grin as his phone dinged and the light bulb went off in his head. "I think I have a brilliant idea. How do you feel about meddling in our friends' lives?"

* * *

 **Lucas has a plan! But what will Farkle do? If he helps him, he'll be betraying his promise to Riley. If he doesn't, Lucas is bound to Huckleberry it all up by himself. We have got to get to the beach soon, right? And what the heck is going on with Maya?**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: This chapter has been one I've wanted to write for awhile now. I'm hoping I did Maya justice. Her side of things has always been confusing to me, but in my version I think it makes a bit more sense. I like Maya, but lately I feel like the fandom has been Maya vs. Riley and the writers feed into it, while simultaneously acting like they don't. I could rant for days about this, but instead I'll just write the two of them in a way that doesn't make me want to strangle them.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I hope it makes you see Maya's side of things. Remember the girls are not talking about things, and both are making a lot of wrong assumptions about the other, especially because they think they know each other better than they know themselves.**

 **Okay, I've rambled enough for an already long chapter! Enjoy! And try not to feel too abandoned if I don't update for a few days! I'm not making any promises. :)**

* * *

 **Monday, June 30th 1:00 p.m.**

Promising to discuss his plan when they were alone, the boys decided to wake everyone up since they were about 20 minutes away from the house. Farkle woke Smackle with a gentle kiss to her forehead.

The minute Lucas woke up Riley, she blushed prettily and scooted as far away from him as she could. Taking her brush out, she put her hair in a high ponytail. She glanced behind her, a gasp escaping her lips before she could stop herself when she saw Zay and Maya in such a compromising position.

Lucas seemed alarmed by her response. Was he jealous?

"Maya!" she shouted. "Wake up! Wake up!"

Maya rolled over before opening her eyes just as Zay was opening his.

Sleepily, he smiled at her before closing his eyes again. "Hey, Sugar."

It took a moment, but his eyes snapped right back open. Both Zay and Maya looked down at their tangled limbs, and at the same time tried to retract them. In such a small space, it was very awkward, and somehow Zay ended up falling onto the floor.

Maya and Riley giggled, the sound making Maya aware that she and Zay were not alone. She looked up guiltily to meet Riley's eyes. Her sister was going to hate her. She starts expressing interest in Zay, and what is the first thing Maya does? Sleeps with him!

She is such a horrible friend, but really she had the best of intentions... At least where Lucas was concerned. Eventually.

She shook her head, trying to escape her muddled thoughts, as she gauged the reactions of the couple in front of her. Lucas, as usual, was pretty much unreadable. The surprising thing was Riley was as well.

Lately, she couldn't seem to reach her sister at all. Nothing she said or did could spurn a reaction. She could feel her slipping away, and at this point, any reaction was better than no reaction at all.

"How far away are we, honey?" Maya asked.

"About 10 minutes out." Lucas answered before his eyes widened, realizing what he responded to.

Maya looked stunned. "Uh, thanks, Huckleberry, but I was talking to Riley, you know my honey?"

Lucas blushed, looking down at his lap. He could already feel Riley checking out emotionally. He thought they had made some progress, and, of course, he just _had_ to blow it. "I know, but Riley was sleeping, too, so I knew she didn't know the answer."

He glanced in Riley's direction, hoping his explanation helped, but she was turned towards Maya, studying the blonde.

Maya nodded, accepting his answer at face value before turning back to face Smackle and Farkle. "So, you have never been to the beach house, Smacks?"

Smackle shook her head. "No, I believe this is a first for half of us."

Zay nodded. "I can't wait to spend all day on the beach, looking at all those classy, beautiful, tan hunnies."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Don't be a skeez."

Zay leaned in close to her. "Jealous, Honey Nugget? You had a piece of me, and now you want the whole thing, right? Waking up in these arms left you wanting?"

As he spoke, he teasingly stroked a finger down her arm, and Maya found herself shivering. That had never happened before. Shaking it off, she scoffed and shoved him away from her. "Get over yourself, Babineaux!"

She spared another glance in Riley's direction, but her face gave nothing away. "Hey, Riles, let's head straight to the beach when we get there, okay? Frankie will make sure our stuff goes where it's supposed to, won't you Frankie?"

Frank looked at Maya in the rearview mirror and nodded.

"Riley?"

"What?" Riley asked, obviously in her own world. "Yeah, sure, Peaches. Whatever you want."

Maya furrowed her brows. "Okay... You coming with, Smackle?"

Smackle glanced at Farkle. "Uh, what do you want to do, my love?"

"Actually, I would love to give you a tour of the house. I'm sure Zay will accompany you girls, and Lucas, didn't you want me to show you where the gym was? Just come with us, and we will get the food and meet up with them in a half hour or so."

Lucas, still trying to get Riley to look at him, sighed and gave Farkle a nod.

Maya clapped her hands together. "Sounds like a plan. Grab some extra towels, too."

Zay put an arm around Maya and leaned up to touch Riley's shoulder. "A great plan, in fact. I'll have the two most beautiful girls on the beach all to myself for a bit."

Riley leaned her head against his hand, forcing a smile to cross her lips. Maya wanted to scream. She had seen that forced smile so many times over the last few weeks. She wanted to confront her, to yell at her, to get her to say something, anything, but Riley refused to talk to her.

They had always been able to talk, but things got so messed up, and Maya had been confused for so long. Then, Riley lied to her, and by the time, Farkle told the truth, Maya was already invested in trying to work out her feelings.

She offered to step back, but Riley insisted they see things through. As the days turned into weeks which turned into months, she felt like her whole life had turned upside down. Riley wasn't talking to her or Farkle for that matter. Lucas wasn't even trying to make a decision. It felt like she was stuck in a never-ending nightmare with she and Riley pitted against each other.

The worst part was Riley wasn't even trying. She didn't expect a catfight or anything, but Riley just pretty much agreed with whatever she said. Lucas, too, for that matter. She had started making ludicrous demands just to see if either one of them would crack, but they all just kept going along with whatever she said.

And Maya, being Maya, took it too far three weeks ago, and she had been trying to make up for it ever since. It just felt like every time she tried, she made things worse. Ever since that stupid date.

 _The group was sitting at the bakery, talking about their plans for Jung Sik on Friday. As usual, Lucas was sitting in the middle of Riley and Maya, careful not to sit too close to either of them. What is this? What were they doing?_

 _Farkle mentioned taking Smackle on a carriage ride, and immediately Riley had stars in her eyes._

 _"That is so sweet, Farkle! What a fun idea!" Riley gushed._

 _Lucas was practically tripping over himself as he turned his whole body towards Riley. "Why don't we all take carriages?"_

 _Riley's smile grew. "I would love to!"_

 _Maya smiled at her, nodding her head in agreement. Immediately Riley slunk back in her seat. Softy, hesitantly, she said, "But who will go with who?"_

 _The six of them stopped talking. Everyone focused in on the three on the couch. As usual, no one said anything, so with a sigh Maya started talking. "Well, obviously Smackle and Farkle are going together. Do you want to ride with me, Riles?"_

 _"No!" Zay shouted. "I am not going on a romantic carriage ride with another man. That is just pushing me too far!"_

 _"Okay..." Again, Maya waited for Lucas or Riley to say something. Again, neither one of them spoke. It was so frustrating feeling like she was constantly leading this sinking ship. "Well, maybe half way through the ride we can switch? I bet the drivers wouldn't like that. Who do you want to ride with Lucas?"_

 _He shrugged. "Uh..." Glancing at Riley, he said, "Whatever you two decide is fine."_

 _Maya nodded, not expecting anything less than disappointment from him. She asked Riley what she wanted. In her mind, she was screaming at her to say something, to do something, to take control of her own life, but Riley merely shrugged._

 _Maya was so angry at this point, a small part of her knew they both wanted to ride with each other, but if neither of them were willing to fight for the other one, why should she just disregard her own feelings? Why should she be punished for saying what she wanted and going for it?_

 _"Well, fine. We agreed to be fair and even, so how about I ride the carriage with Lucas, and Riley, Lucas can walk you home from the subway after dinner?"_

 _She was well aware that this wasn't even at all as she looked around the group. Smackle and Zay had walked off to the counter to get drinks to avoid this uncomfortable situation, but she fully expected someone to comment._

 _"I guess, if that's what you guys want..." Lucas said._

 _Maya had to swallow back her anger. Standing up, she walked over to where Riley was sitting, so she could talk to her without Lucas physically between them. "That okay with you, Riles? Lucas and I alone in a carriage? It was your idea after all."_

 _Riley nodded and hopped up. "I'll go ask Zay to ride with me."_

 _Maya took her seat and didn't even try to mask her surprise. "How about you, Farkle? Do you think that sounds like a good plan? Like I'm being fair to my best friend, Riley?"_

 _Farkle was quiet for a long moment, but even he eventually nodded in agreement! What was going on? Had her friends been taken over by pod people?_

 _She was still reeling over what had happened at the bakery when she was at the Matthews the next day. They were all having breakfast, and Shawn walked in. He paused when he saw Maya sitting at the table before cautiously coming to sit next to her._

 _"Hey, Maya, uh, I was hoping I would see you here."_

 _"You were?" she asked skeptically. Even though he was dating her mother, she still had a hard time believing Shawn cared about her._

 _"Yeah, I came to your apartment to take you and your mom out to dinner last night, but you had already left with your friends."_

 _"Oh."_

 _They both awkwardly stared at each other before Corey stepped in. "Well, what are your plans this weekend, Maya? Shawn's in town until Saturday!"_

 _"Oh, uh, tomorrow we are all going out to eat at that Korean place in Tribeca."_

 _"Oh," Shawn said, sounding disappointed._

 _Again with the awkward silence. Maya didn't know what to do. She stared helplessly at Riley, but she was busy staring at her oatmeal and idly pushing it around with her spoon._

 _Topanga stepped in this time. "Didn't you say you guys were going on a carriage ride, too?"_

 _Maya swallowed the food in her mouth before nodding. "Yeah, it should be fun."_

 _"Yeah, that sounds...nice," Shawn said, cringing at how lame he sounded._

 _"Yeah..."_

 _"So..." Topanga tried again. "What are you going to wear, Maya? Riley says you guys are getting dressed up!"_

 _Maya shrugged. "Whatever Riley has that will fit me."_

 _Corey nudged Shawn in the shoulder. "Oh, I can take you! Shopping! I can take you shopping today, if you'd like. We'll get something that will blow any guys socks off!"_

 _Maya smiled, excited to spend some time with Shawn. "Oh, Riles, do you-"_

 _"No!" Corey interrupted. Everyone turned to stare at him. "I mean, Riley has plenty of nice dresses to wear. Why don't you and Shawn go just the two of you? Wouldn't that be nice?"_

 _Maya nodded shyly._

 _Shawn rubbed his hands together. "Great! That's great. How about after you finish your breakfast? We'll find something really beautiful for you to wear and maybe-" He glanced at Corey, who nodded encouragingly, before he continued nervously. "Maybe we could get some lunch together afterward?"_

 _"Sure, Shawn. That's sounds like fun."_

 _Maya grinned, letting herself pretend she had a real dad for once. Shawn gave her a goofy grin of his own, and before she knew it, Topanga was wrapping an arm around each of them. "This is going to be so great! The two of you will have an unforgettable time together. Don't you think so, Riley?"_

 _Everyone looked expectantly at Riley, who had championed Maya and Shawn's relationship all along, but she seemed to be on another planet. Realizing everyone was staring at her, she simply mumbled, "Yeah, unforgettable."_

 _Maya tried not to let Riley's sour mood ruin her day, but even as she and Shawn strolled through the mall, she felt like there was a dark cloud hanging around her._

 _"Shawn, can I ask you something?"_

 _"Sure, kiddo. You can ask me anything."_

 _She gestured to the bench. Shawn placed the bags he was carrying on one end before coming to sit next to her. "What's up, buttercup?"_

 _"Did you ever...have feelings for Mrs. Matthews?" she asked._

 _"Oh, no. She is way too old for me...Oh, you mean, Topanga!" Shawn laughed, trying to shake off his nerves. "Um, no. Corey thought we did once in college though. It was pretty comical. Why do you ask?"_

 _"Because I think I have made a huge mess of everything. I just feel like I am screwing up everybody's life, and I don't know how to fix it."_

 _"Woah, slow down, kid. Is this about that Lucas boy?"_

 _She nodded. "I thought Riley didn't really like him...Romantically. So I kind of started to like him, and then I found out that she had liked him all along and she lied about it because she figured out I liked him. But by then he and I had been on some dates, I guess they were dates. I don't know. I felt like maybe something was there or maybe he thought something was there because he didn't just go back to Riley. And I didn't want Riley to settle for a guy, who didn't even know who he liked. So I thought I would see it through because if he liked me, I didn't want Riley to get her heart broken, and I still am not a hundred percent sure how I feel. But now this has been going on for months. I don't know what to feel or what Riley's thinking. I don't even know if I still even like the guy or if I am just trying to justify ruining everything in the first place. Or-"_

 _"Wait!" Shawn held up his hands. "That was the fastest I have ever heard you talk, and my head is kind of spinning. So why don't I talk for a bit and you just listen? Maybe I have some worldly experience I can bestow upon you or something."_

 _"Please do," Maya said, gesturing with her hand for him to begin._

 _"Okay," Shawn started, wiping his hands on his jeans. Why was he so nervous? "Topanga is the best girl I have ever met...Well, with the exception of your mom. But back then, when we were kids, I thought she was absolutely perfect. Pretty, nice, quirky. She was a genuinely good person to the point that it annoyed me, you know?"_

 _Maya nodded, thinking of her own best friend._

 _"So, why wouldn't I want my best friend to be with the best girl I had ever known? I even took her on a date once to try to get Corey jealous enough to ask her out. That's how they started going steady."_

 _"Yeah, I asked Lucas out in the seventh grade to get him to ask out Riley."_

 _"Okay, so what changed between then and now?"_

 _"Nothing at all. I still want what is best for Riley."_

 _Shawn nodded. "Well, do you think Lucas is the best person for her?"_

 _Maya couldn't answer. After a long moment, she said, "I think the best person for Riley is someone who knows what they want and goes after it. Lucas is so afraid of hurting either one of us that he is actually hurting both of us. He won't make a decision!"_

 _Shawn gestured for her to get up, and they resumed walking. "Personally, I don't think he is good enough for either one of you. Maya, you and Riley both deserve great guys who are crazy about you, who make you happy. It sounds to me like Lucas is making you miserable."_

 _Maya shook her head. "It's more complicated than that. I think we all are making each other miserable. Like this dinner! I knew Riley and Lucas wanted to ride together, but neither one of them would say so. No one says anything anymore! So I just kept talking and getting more frustrated, and now I'm riding with Lucas and I know Riley is really hurt!"_

 _"Well, we can fix that," Shawn said, holding the door of the next store open for her._

 _"How?" Maya asked, sounding hopeful._

 _"You haven't ridden with him yet. I'm sure it would mean a lot to Riley if you tell her you changed your mind."_

 _Maya had her dress down to two choices, and Shawn picked the one they ultimately bought. Then he took her to get shoes, a matching clutch, and let her buy some new makeup._

 _When they went to lunch, Shawn explained to her that he and Katy were getting pretty serious, and he wanted to make sure that was okay with her._

 _He had started looking for apartments in the city that would be big enough for all of them. Now that Maya's grandmother had moved to Florida, he thought it would be the perfect time for the three of them to live together as a family._

 _Maya quickly agreed._

 _As they walked up to the Matthews' door, Shawn asked her not to tell anyone. "I haven't exactly asked your mom yet. I wanted to make sure it was okay with you first. I plan on doing things right. I plan on marrying your mom some day, and I guess that would kind of make me your dad. I wanted to make sure you felt comfortable with that."_

 _They knocked on the door, and Corey answered, wrapping them both in a hug. He whispered something in Shawn's ear and then said to Maya, "I am so happy to see you so happy."_

 _Shawn proudly told them he picked out Maya's dress, and Topanga was so excited to see her old friend with a daughter of his own, she immediately demanded that Maya try it on._

 _Maya put on the black dress with her new red pumps in Riley's room and came out to the living room, doing a twirl so they could see the back. She reached into one of the shopping bags to produce the matching red clutch._

 _Topanga grabbed Shawn's hand. "You did such a good job, Shawn! Maya, I am blown away! You look so beautiful and grown up! Shawn has good taste, doesn't he?"_

 _Maya nodded excitedly. She really wanted to tell Riley about possibly moving in with Shawn, but she didn't want to break her trust with him. She had a feeling Corey knew though because he kept glancing between them and looked like he might start crying at any moment._

 _"This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!" Corey blurted out. Maya can't help but blush._

 _She turned to Riley, who looked like she had been punched in the gut. "Riles, is everything okay?"_

 _The grown ups all looked at Riley with various levels of understanding on their faces. Shawn, who had spent the majority of the day discussing the triangle, seemed to sense the younger girl's unease._

 _"Riley, what are you going to wear? Do you want to model it for us, too?"_

 _Riley put a strand of hair behind her ear. "Uh, I have this green dress Aunt Morgan sent me. I haven't had the chance to wear it yet."_

 _"Oh!" Topanga exclaimed. "I remember that dress. You'll look so pretty!"_

 _Riley cringed at the word 'pretty' and excused herself, saying she wasn't feeling well and needed to take a nap before her shift at the bakery._

 _The grown ups all exchanged worried glances as Maya rushed off to the bathroom to change back into her regular clothes._

 _When Maya arrived before Riley the next night, she asked Lucas if he minded riding with Riley instead. The ecstatic look on his face told her everything she needed to know. He might not have realized it yet, but he had made his decision._

 _"When she gets here, we'll tell her."_

 _But Lucas wasn't paying attention any more. Riley was walking up arm in arm with Zay. Maya immediately took notice of their smiling faces and matching outfits, but all Lucas saw was Riley._

 _In an awed voice, Lucas said, "Wow, Riley, you look stunning."_

 _Maya couldn't help but smirk, knowing for the first time in months she was doing right by her best friend. Before she got the chance to tell her about the change in plans, Riley turned to face Zay, who began acting really weird, in a cute, dorky way._

 _"Milady, would you bestow me the greatest honor of allowing me to accompany you on this horse-drawn carriage," he asked in a poor British accent._

 _Riley curtsied and replied in her own weird accent, "Why, it would be my pleasure, good sir!"_

 _What the heck was going on? How had this happened? Maya asked herself as Lucas pouted while simultaneously pretending not to pout next to her in the carriage._

From that point on, Maya made sure that any little gesture Lucas sent her way he evened it up with Riley, but it seemed the more she tried to push them together, the closer Riley got to Zay. She was completely baffled. Was Riley really into Zay or was he the new Charlie Gardner? A shield she was using to protect herself, to step back, so Maya could have Lucas?

In her own frustration, she tried the same route Shawn had taken on those years ago the night of the Fiesta. She thought if she could insight some jealousy within Riley it would finally push her to act, but all she wanted to do was dance with Zay. Maybe Riley was ready for something new?

As the three of them walked to the beach, she carefully studied her two friends. Maybe she had gotten it wrong. Maybe Riley really did have feelings for Zay, and by pushing her to Lucas, she was making her best friend miserable all over again.

Looking at Zay, she could see why Riley would turn her attentions toward him. He was smart and witty. He could be really sweet when he wanted and a true gentleman, but he also had a touch of mischievousness that Lucas lacked. He was very easy on the eyes as well. Maya shook those thoughts out of her head. She could definitely not go there.

If Riley wanted Zay, she had to do everything in her power to make sure she knew that Maya would not stand in her way this time. No matter how good it felt to wake up in his arms.

* * *

 **So what did ya'll think? I want to give Riley and Maya a hug and force them to sit on the bay window and really talk! I also want Lucas to step up and be a man! Good thing I'm the one writing the story! Also, we are finally at the beach! Yay! Review if you feel so inclined, see you soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: This chapter was a bit harder for me to write. I don't if it's because I haven't written Smackle or because it's hard on my heart to put Lucas and Riley through all this, but I just really had to power through until the end.**  
 **I hope this chapter frustrates you because they are frustrating me! But I can't make it too easy for Lucas, can I? As always, thanks for the support! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Monday, June 30th 1:30 p.m.**

Smackle never had real friends before. She didn't always understand social cues or what was expected of her, but she was intelligent enough to recognize that her friends were weird. Which was perfectly fine because if they weren't a little weird, she probably wouldn't fit in.

She tried to follow Farkle's lead whenever she didn't understand what she should do, but lately he was downright perplexing. When they first started dating, Farkle made sure she understood that his friendships with Maya and Riley were of the utmost importance.

Lately, she felt like he was taking the wrong course of action when it came to the girls. As an intelligent, well-spoken, outgoing, individual, Farkle should have stepped in and helped fix this mess. Instead, it seemed like he was retreating further and further into himself.

She was happy to follow his lead as demonstrated by following him around the beach house instead of going with the others, but something in the back of her mind kept saying she was missing something, that he wasn't being entirely truthful.

They were all standing in the kitchen gathering the lunch supplies when Farkle said, "Okay...Lucas, I made a promise, and I'm doing everything I can to keep it."

Lucas seemed confused, but nodded anyway. "Okay, you should always keep your promises unless keeping the promise could lead someone to get hurt."

Farkle slammed his hand down on the counter. "That's just it! People are getting hurt. Over and over again. I have to help, but my hands are tied. So, I'm tagging in Smackle."

"What on earth are you talking about, dear?" Smackle asked.

"Lucas has a plan to fix this mess. I can't help because I promised I would stay out of everything. So, Isadora, I need you to help him in my stead."

Lucas stared at Farkle for a long moment before turning to face Smackle. "I could really use all the help I can get. Please, Smackle, help me make things right for everyone."

"Is this what you want Farkle?"

He nodded.

She grabbed Lucas' hand. "Okay, tell me your plan. I will then tear it apart, and we can come up with a better plan."

Farkle started to walk out of the kitchen with the food. "Meet us at the beach after you guys finish discussing this. I have to have plausible deniability, so I'm going to bring the food down now. I'm counting on both of you to do right by all of us."

"I won't disappoint you, love," Smackle said before focusing all of her attention on Lucas. "Now that we're alone, tell me your plan, and you better not try to kiss me!"

Lucas let out a breath, squared his shoulders, and declared, "I want to be with Riley."

Smackle blinked a few times. "Okay... So go be with her?"

Lucas shook his head. "After everything I put her through, it's not going to be that simple. Maya already decided to spend more time with Zay in an effort to balance out all the time we have been spending together, but here lately every time I try to get close to Riley she just pushes me away and tries to push me to Maya."

"Okay, so you are going to woo Riley while Maya is distracted by Zay? You know Maya is going to realize Zay isn't you, right?"

Lucas nodded. "That's the plan. After seeing them together in the van this morning, it hit me. They would be perfect together! I don't know why I didn't see it before. So all we have to do is get those two to fall in love. In the meantime, I'll be showing Riley that she's the most important person in the world to me. Maya will realize she doesn't want me, and then Riley and I can be together for real, guilt-free."

"Okay, but how do you propose we do that Lucas? That is more of an idea than a plan."

"Well, that's all I've got so far. I'm hoping the more time they spend together, the more nature just takes its course."

Smackle chewed on her bottom lip as she thought over the scenario Lucas had just laid out for her. "I don't think it will be that simple to get two people to fall in love, and we don't even know who Zay wants. What if he wants to be with Riley?"

Lucas had already started toward the sliding glass door that led to the deck. Turning around to face Smackle, he said, "I have already messed things up so badly, if Zay wants Riley and Riley wants Zay and not me, I'll try to accept that. But if there's even a slight chance that she could maybe still want me, I'm not going to give up on her. I'm going to do what I should have done in Texas when this whole thing started. I'm going to fight for her. I have wasted too much time for the sake of friendship and what's best for the group, I'm going to do what's best for me and what's best for Riley."

He turned back to the door and started to open it, startled when Smackle came up behind him and put a hand on the door to halt his movements. "While I enjoyed your impassioned speech, I think you should just be honest with Riley and Maya, instead of trying to manipulate their emotions."

Lucas nodded. "When the time is right, I will be honest with everyone. But if I go out there right now and tell Riley I choose her, she will just laugh in my face. I won't force Maya and Zay together, but if they keep spending time together and they keep getting pushed into romantic situations... Trust me, Smackle. Everyone could wind up happy by the end of this week."

Smackle shrugged, letting him open the door and following him outside. From the deck, they could see their friends. Farkle and Riley had a picnic spread out under a large umbrella, and Zay and Maya were playing in the ocean, dunking, splashing, and chasing each other. From her vantage point, they looked like a young couple in love already. "If Farkle wants me to help you, that's what I am going to do. What do you need me to do?"

"We just have to keep putting those two in romantic situations and keep finding ways for Riley and I to be alone. The problem I'm having right now though is Riley has avoided being alone with me at all costs."

They were getting closer to their friends, so Smackle stopped and turned to face Lucas so no one else could tell what she was saying. "She won't be able to avoid you if Zay is with Maya. Haven't you noticed he has been attached to her hip for the last couple of weeks? Maybe you could ask him to join in our subterfuge? At least get him on board with you spending time with Riley?"

"He might be a bit harder to convince. We kind of fought about Riley last night."

Smackle sighed and began to drag him by the arm to the blanket. "You really do have a way of just making everyone mad, don't you, Huckleberry?"

Lucas shrugged. "What can I say? It's a gift."

"Well, I will have a conversation with Zay. He likes me. Farkle will stay out of it to keep his promise to Riley. You will-"

This time it was Lucas' turn to stop and face her, even though they were dangerously close to their friends. "How do you know Farkle's promise was to Riley?"

"It's obvious, Lucas. Who else would want him to stay out of it? Who else got hurt by him telling the entire class about her feelings? She was so mortified by what happened on New Year's, and then everyone at school spent the rest of the year gossiping about her and her dad kept doing lessons about the three of you."

"How do you know about that? You didn't even go to our school last year."

"We overheard some girls talking in the washroom at the bakery one day. When I inquired about why Riley didn't seem all too upset, she said she was used to it by now."

"Stop. New part of the plan. We have to fix Farkle and Riley's friendship."

Smackle agreed immediately. "We should also fix Maya and Riley. I will try to brainstorm an actual plan, and we can reconvene in the evening."

"What should I do?"

"Stand there and look pretty."

"So, you really think we can get Maya and Zay together, get me and Riley together, fix all their friendships in 6 days?" Lucas asked skeptically.

"I think we can try. You might be a lost cause though."

"Well, thanks Smackle I appreciate the support," Lucas grumbled.

They both took a seat on the blanket next to the objects of their affections. Farkle smiled at both of them, but Riley scooted about an inch away from Lucas and looked curiously at both of them.

"What took you guys so long?"

Smackle did some quick thinking and replied straight away. "We were discussing our plans for the evening. I thought it might be fun to go down to the boardwalk tonight. There's a couple rides and games. It should be fun."

Riley nodded in agreement. "I love the boardwalk. It looks really pretty in the evening with everything all lit up."

Lucas laid down on the blanket on his side, propping his head up with one hand and reaching out to play with Riley's fingers with the other. "Well, then that's what we'll do. I'll even buy you some cotton candy and ride the ferris wheel with you."

With his height, Riley would have to scoot off the blanket to avoid his touch, so she settled for staring at their joined hands for a moment, relishing in the feeling before standing up. She took off her pants and shirt, and Lucas felt his mouth go dry at the sight of her.

She must have bought a new bathing suit for the trip because he had never seen this one before. It was hot pink and complimented her summer tan well. His attention was drawn to the water, where Zay and Maya were hooting, hollering, and whistling at the sight of her.

He knew they were just messing around, but it made his blood boil to think that Zay was looking at her the same way he was. Riley was blushing at their antics, and her blush increased when she looked down to meet his eyes.

"Stop looking at me like that," she grumbled.

Lucas sat up on his knees. "I can't stop looking at you like this when you look like that."

"Like what?"

"Hot!" Smackle answered. "Oh! Did I say that out loud?"

Before anyone could answer her, Maya, who was now on Zay's shoulders in the water, was shouting, "Come in here and play chicken with us, you chickens!"

Smackle took her dress off, revealing a simple black one-piece with cutouts at her hips. Farkle grabbed her hand, and together they went to join their friends in the water.

Lucas took off his shirt, and it was Riley's turn to stare.

"Stop looking at me like that," he teased with a smile.

"Not when you look like that," Riley said, gesturing to his abs with her hand. Riley blushed, unable to believe she actually said that, and forced herself to look out at the water to her friends.

Farkle had Smackle on his shoulders, but the deeper they got in the water, the harsher the waves got. Zay was backing up slowly, forcing Farkle to chase him. When a strong wave would come, Maya would lunge forward and push Smackle, causing her to fall off Farkle's shoulders.

The four friends were laughing and dunking each other as Riley watched on, wishing she could be a part of the fun.

"Do you want to be my partner?" Lucas asked, sounding both hesitant and hopeful at the same time.

Riley bit her bottom lip as she weighed her options. The thought of having his broad shoulders underneath her and his strong hands supporting her made her blush from head to toe. She didn't think she would be able to handle it if he hoisted Maya on his shoulders after, so she shook her head, grabbing a large beach towel from their things.

"I think I'm just going to lay out and get some sun."

She reached into her bag and grabbed her earbuds and sunglasses. Before she had a chance to get comfortable, Lucas spread a towel next to hers. "I'll lay with you. Do you need me to rub some sunscreen on your back?"

She smiled and pulled out her spray can of sunscreen. "Actually, can you spray me?"

Lucas frowned. "That's not nearly as fun."

She sprayed as much of her body as she could before handing it to him to do her back. When he was done, she slipped it back into her bag. Scrolling through the music on her phone, she put her sunglasses firmly in place, laying down on her stomach.

She was doing her best to block him out, but Lucas seemed just as determined to have her attention. He was sitting up, his forearms resting casually on his knees, as he studied her every move.

She turned her music up louder, but he reached over and unplugged her earbuds. "Hey!"

"Sorry, can we talk?"

Rolling her eyes, she turned over on her back and sat up on her forearms. "About what?"

Lucas began idly playing with the sand in between their towels, unable to look her in the eyes. "Do you still... Riley, do you still like me?"

Riley perched her sunglasses on top of her head. "Of course, I like you. You're one of my closest friends!"

Lucas sighed. "No, Riley. I mean, do you still... want to be with me?"

Riley sat up, curling her legs underneath her. "Why would you ask me that?"

"Because you keep avoiding me! You won't let me touch you, and you push me with Maya at every given opportunity!"

Riley stood, wiping the sand off her thighs. "I can't do this. You're not being fair, Lucas!"

Lucas scoffed, standing up as well. "I'm _always_ being fair, Riley! I am so damn tired of having to be fair all the time! I should be able to do what I want!"

"Then do what you want! No one is stopping you."

"You are! What I want is to spend time with you, talk to you, dance with you. You, Riley," Lucas pleaded, trying to will her to understand. "So I need to know if you still have feelings for me. If there's still a chance."

Lucas stepped into her personal space, taking both of her hands in his. "If you don't want me the way that I want you, please just tell me."

Riley stared down at their joined hands, quietly saying, "Of course, I have feelings for you. Of course, I still want you." She met his gaze. "I have _always_ wanted you."

Lucas smiled. "And I have _always_ wanted you."

He started to lean in, but Riley took a step back, taking her hands away as well. She spared a glance to her friends, to Maya, who was oblivious, laughing as she held Farkle's head under the water.

"Can't you see this is hard for me, Lucas? Seeing you with someone else? Not even being able to fight for you because of how much I love her?"

"What if we can make it simple? Riley," Lucas took a breath, deciding he was just going to tell her now. He chose her, wanted only her, and let the chips fall where they may. But Riley didn't give him a chance to speak.

"We can, Lucas!" Riley cried. "Can't we just put a pin in this? For now? Can you just give me this week to enjoy everything? Before we all fall apart."

"We don't have to fall apart, Riles. We can-"

"Please, Lucas. Just let me have one more week."

He brushed a stray hair off her face, staring into her eyes, trying to read her, to understand what she was asking of him. "If that's what you want. I'll give you whatever you want, Riley."

She smiled at him then, wishing her hardest that that were true.

* * *

 **There you have it. Smackle is #TeamRucas! I'm hoping to put a chapter out soon because I hate leaving my babies so vulnerable. Don't be too mad at Riley. He has put her through a lot, and she has always been very insecure. In the coming chapters, we will see a bit more where her head is and what she's thinking now. Next chapter, Smackle will have an interesting conversation with Zay, and Riley just might get her cotton candy! See you soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry to leave you hanging for a few days. I had a really bad headache. I wanted to write, I just couldn't stand to stare at the screen! This chapter doesn't have everything I wanted in it because I started to write the boardwalk scene and it ended up being longer than I thought! So, bad news Riley isn't in this chapter. Good news, I have already started writing the next chapter.**

 **Also, I have never been to New York or the Hamptons. I am making up locations and things based on research and to fit my own needs. I am pretty sure there isn't a boardwalk, but I wanted a ferris wheel, dangit! So, I don't want to hear anyone tell me I'm wrong about those things because I already know!**

 **Your reviews warm my heart muscles and make me smile! I appreciate them so much!**

 **Okay, enough rambling. Storytime!**

* * *

 **Monday, June 30 4:15 p.m.**

After coming to an agreement with Riley, Lucas convinced her to relax and have fun with their friends. He didn't really give her much choice in the matter when he scooped her up and threw her in the water. She stood up, soaked and sputtering, before declaring girls versus guys! Laughing and shouting, everyone joined in, so they spent a few hours splashing each other and running in the waves.

The Minkus house was on a private beach with the nearest neighbors a good couple of miles away, so it felt like they owned the ocean. It was such an amazing feeling, and Riley was really glad she let everyone convince her to join in the fun.

It felt like they had gone back in time to before evening things up, before the triangle, before Texas. Everything was right in the universe. For once it didn't matter to her if Lucas was standing close to Maya or if she dunked him or anything. They were just six friends having a good time, enjoying their first summer all together as a group. And even though it was their first summer together, at times like these when the triangle wasn't center stage, it felt like they had known each other for their whole lives.

Excited for the night ahead, they decided to just have dinner on the boardwalk, so they all went their separate ways to shower and change. The Minkus beach house was huge to say the least. It had nine bedrooms and a basement apartment that Grace, the head of the house staff, lived in during the summer.

Of those nine bedrooms, four were guest rooms, one was Farkle's, one was his parents, and the other three were in a separate wing for staff, one of which was solely reserved for Frank.

Since two people had to share, Lucas and Zay decided it would be them, mainly because Zay didn't want Riley to be forced to share with Maya. This was her vacation, too, and he knew she could use a break.

The four guest bedrooms were located along the same hallway with two full bathrooms. Zay and Smackle showered in those, with Riley taking Farkle's parents' bathroom, and Maya, who had known Grace for years, went to her apartment so she wouldn't have to wait.

After dropping off the three who were new to his house in their wing, Farkle went to his own floor to shower. Smackle did her best to be quick. She wanted to talk to Zay alone, so with her hair still wet, she waited rather impatiently for Zay to come out of the bathroom.

He was still dripping, a towel wrapped around his waist, when Smackle grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into her room. Zay let out a high pitched shriek, jumping a little, trying to cover his chest with his hands.

"Smackle! What is wrong with you, woman? Sneaking up on someone like that when he is in his skivvies?"

"Well, excuse me. You should have brought your clothes into the bathroom and changed there. You knew you were staying with mixed company."

"Mixed comp- Smackle! Did you need something? And hurry it up! I don't want another one of my guy friends to see me with his girl and get the wrong idea!"

"The wrong idea? Lucas was wrong about you and Riley?" Smackle asked with interest, ignoring the rest of his rant.

Zay reluctantly nodded, not really wanting the information to get back to Lucas. He could tell the idea of competition lit a fire in him.

"So would it also be correct to assume you want Lucas and Riley to be together?"

Zay was very careful with his words. "I want everyone to be happy, and no one to get hurt."

Smackle studied him carefully. "And what would make you happy Zay?"

Zay shrugged. "At this moment getting dressed would make me pretty darn happy! Can I go?"

Smackle nodded but followed him into his room. "Smackle!"

"Geez! I'll turn around. It's not like I haven't seen a naked body before!"

"Well, you haven't seen this naked body!"

Smackle turned to face the door and closed her eyes for good measure. "Satisfied?"

"I'll be more-" Zay's voice was muffled by his shirt briefly, but became clear when he continued, "satisfied when you tell me what is so important that you couldn't wait until I got dressed!"

"All our friends! So now that I know you don't have feelings for Riley. Answer my question, what would make you happy?"

Zay shrugged.

"I have a pretty good idea."

"You do?"

"I think you have feelings for a certain 'blonde beauty' that you have been holding onto since you moved here. While I think it is very noble of you to stay silent and let your best friend figure out his feelings, we both know that Lucas' heart belongs to Riley."

Zay didn't seem as certain as Smackle about that. "I wanted to believe that, but I thought maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see. Please, don't tell anyone. I am just trying to keep my head down and let this whole thing play out. I don't want to overcomplicate an already complicated situation."

"Okay, now that we have established that you do not have feelings for Riley, and you do have feelings for Maya, we need to go!" Smackle said, again pretty much ignoring everything Zay had just said.

She grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him out of the room as she scrolled furiously through her phone. Lucas stepped into the hallway at that time, dressed casually in jean shorts and a fitted T-shirt.

"See Lucas got changed in the bathroom because he is a southern gentleman!" Smackle admonished Zay.

Putting her phone in her pocket, Smackle grabbed Lucas by the wrist, dragging the boys down a few hallways until they came to a closed door. She grabbed a key out of her pocket, unlocked the door, and shoved both boys into the dark room.

"Uh, Smackle? You're kind of freaking me out," Zay said, squinting to try to see the brainy girl in the dark.

"I'm just looking for the-" The room lit up. "There we go!"

She gestured for both of them to sit in front of the desk. "This is Mr. Stuart's study. He said I could use it for any plotting I needed to do, nefarious or otherwise."

'Mr. Stuart,' Zay mouthed, raising his eyebrows at Lucas.

"Farkle's father wants me to call him Stuart. That is the best I can do."

She rolled a dry erase board out to the middle of the floor and began writing.

"Okay, I few things we should just get out on the table right away," she said bluntly, still writing, not paying attention to the boys. "Lucas has already decided. He picked Riley. Zay has had feelings for Maya since he first got here."

When she was finished writing, she moved out of the way so the boys could see what she wrote.

1.) **RILEY & LUCAS! 3**

2.) Zay & Maya (?)

3.) Farkle & Riley

4.) Riley & Maya

5.) SMACKLE!

"Hey! Why do they get exclamation points and hearts, and we only get a question mark?" Zay whined.

"Because Farkle has been heavily invested in their relationship for years. We don't even know if Maya likes you."

"Hey!"

Lucas rubbed Zay's shoulder sympathetically before asking, "Why does it say Smackle?"

She shrugged. "I felt left out. Also, if I spend my whole holiday week fixing your messed up love lives, I deserve a party or pie or something."

"So what's the plan?" Lucas asked.

"Well, I have Farkle and Riley covered. Now Lucas you just have to choose Riley that will leave-"

"No!" Zay shouted.

Lucas glared at him. "Isaiah Babineaux, tell me right now, do you like Riley or not?"

"Riley is like the little sister I never wanted."

Lucas nodded, accepting his answer. "Then what's the problem? Do you not like Maya? That's okay, I just thought-"

"No, I, uh," Zay looked any where but at his two friends. "I like Maya... A lot."

"That's great!" Lucas said, standing up. "I'll just go tell the girls-"

"No!" Zay shouted again. "If you pick Riley, I'll never know if Maya really likes me or if she's just settling because she can't have you. Give me a few days to woo her and ask her out. Then you can-"

"Nuh uh!" Lucas said. "If you ask Maya out, then _Riley_ will always wonder if I really like her or if I'm just settling. No way. I am not going to let her insecurity eat away at her like that. It will put an end to our relationship before it begins."

Zay stood up, both boys squaring off. "You owe me, Lucas. I haven't said anything about my feelings for Maya, so you could figure out what you wanted. Please, don't say anything to the girls until I have the chance to win her over."

Lucas sat down, feeling defeated. Zay sat down next to him, head in his hands, he mumbled, "So, Smacks, got any great ideas?"

"The only thing I can think to do is stay the course. Lucas, you spend as much time with Riley as possible, and Zay, you spend as much time with Maya as possible. Romance for Riley, Lucas. And fun adventures for Maya, Zay. With any luck, they will both figure out on their own who belongs with who. Everything else, just leave up to me."

"And fixing the two of them?" Lucas asked.

"I have a feeling that once we fix Farkle and Riley, Farkle will fix them," Smackle said with a knowing grin.

Nodding, Lucas stood up. "I will do this your way for now, Zay. But before this week is through, I will tell Riley how I feel. You have until the firework show on the 4th."

"If you are serious about her, I will do everything I can to help you. Maybe you can't tell her yet, but surely you can show her," Zay said. "I will tell Riley this whole thing myself if I think she is hurting. In the end, she would do the exact same thing if she were in your position. Ultimately, she will understand why you didn't say anything. I'll turn on the Babineaux charm, and with any luck, we'll both have our girls to watch the fireworks with.

Lucas nodded in agreement. "You're my best friend. Maya is like a sister to me. I want all four of us to find happiness. If keeping quiet a few more days leads to that... I will just have to hope Riley believes in me as much as she once did."

Zay stood up, shaking Lucas' hand.

Glancing down at his watch, he said, "Shoot! we need to meet them downstairs in five minutes! How are we going to figure our way around this house without them knowing where we were?"

Smackle had returned to her phone. "Relax, Zay. Farkle emailed me a map of the area, a blueprint of the house, suggested places of interest, and a list of fun facts weeks ago. For example, did you know that in this very room Mr. Stuart signed the Lomax account which led to his company's expansion in Australia?"

"No, I did not," Zay deadpanned.

"Well, see not only are we coming up solving problems and having fun, but you're also learning something, too! What a great vacation!"

"Yeah, great," Lucas said weakly as he followed his friends out of the study.

* * *

 **Okay, so Smackle has taken charge of the situation. Zay has declared his feelings. Lucas has a deadline. Things are happening...**


	9. Chapter 9

**I was so excited to write this chapter! Hopefully you'll like it as much as I liked writing it! Enjoy the fluff while it lasts! Let me know what you think! Thanks for the support!**

* * *

 **Monday, June 30th 6:30 p.m.**

Riley would never understand how someone could make a simple T-shirt look so good. She had spent almost all of the past two hours getting ready, and Lucas probably spent five minutes, yet still he looked impossibly perfect.

She kept it simple, too, but it was a forced attempt at looking effortless. A pair of flower print culotte shorts gave off the impression that she was wearing a skirt without having to deal with the impracticalities of wearing one. Along with a simple white tanktop with crisscross straps in the back and her hair half up/half down, the look was completed by a comfy pair of slipons that wouldn't make her feet hurt by the end of the night.

She might have been imagining things, but Lucas hadn't taken his eyes off her the entire time he was walking down the stairs.

Maya went for a casual pair of tight capri jeans, a black fitted tanktop, and her black chucks. Her hair was down and curly, parted dramatically at one side. In short, she looked like a supermodel, and Riley knew it was only a matter of time before Lucas looked her way.

"Is everybody ready to go?" Farkle asked. "Frank is bringing the van around now."

Everyone nodded as Lucas cautiously approached Riley. "Hey, uh, Riles, if you don't mind, I was kind of, sort of, hoping this could be like, a date?"

Riley felt pinned by his intense stare and shy voice. She looked over towards Maya, but she was preoccupied with Zay messing with her hair. She looked over at Smackle, but she was showing Farkle something on her phone.

"Well, I, uh... what about Maya?"

"She and I already had some sort of date the night we went to that Korean place."

Maya had walked over to the couple when she heard her name. "Yeah, Riley, I don't mind if you two want to spend some time together. Plus Zay already challenged me to a friendly competition. We are going to have a tournament of carnival games! Loser buys funnel cake! Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Zay had a big smile on his face when Riley met his eyes. "It does! Why don't we all do that?"

Smackle shook her head. This was going to be harder than she thought. "Sorry, Riley. Farkle and I are going to the local museum down the block. It has a huge exhibit with indigenous insects! I'm hoping the gift shop will have some things to add to my collection."

"Besides Riley, you're awful at carnival games," Zay insisted as they walked to the van. "Just have a fun time with your boy, and we will all meet up later."

"Okay," Riley relented. "I guess we have to make up for the date you guys already went on."

"Sure!" Maya said.

"That's not why I asked you, Riley," Lucas insisted at the same time. "I know how much you love all the rides and games and walking the promenade. I want to share that with you."

Climbing into the van, Riley again looked over at Maya trying to evaluate her reaction, but again Maya was distracted by Zay, who she was already sitting by. He was making a list on his phone of all the activities they would be competing against each other in, and she was leaning in, looking over his shoulder to approve of the list.

"Frankie, you better stick close to me and Boy Wonder over here because we are going to win a lot of worthless crap!" Maya shouted.

Farkle agreed. "That sounds like a great idea. Smackle and I can walk to the museum from the promenade, and we'll just come back to the boardwalk when we're done. I'll send out a group text when we get back, in case we all want to meet up."

The car rolled to a stop in a small parking lot. Frank opened the door for the kids, watching as they all piled out. "Okay, I'll stick with these two. Text me if anyone wants to go back to the house. Be safe."

With that, Zay and Maya raced off to their first challenge- the bumper cars- with Frank trailing slowly behind them.

"Riley, have fun on your date. I can't imagine it will be as exciting as ours!" Smackle smiled at the taller girl. "Society dictates I hug you now because we are besties."

Riley gave the other girl a warm, but somewhat awkward, hug as the two geniuses headed off in the direction opposite of the Ferris wheel.

"So what do you want to do first, Riley?" Lucas asked.

Riley looked around helplessly. How was she supposed to keep her sanity when she was going on a date, a real date, just the two of them, with Lucas Friar? If she allowed herself to fall even deeper into his spell and he chose Maya, how would she ever be able to be around them, watching the two of them together?

But if this was all she had, if she only got to have these little pieces of him to hold onto, shouldn't she try to gather up as many as she could? It hurt her head to think about what happened to the three of them when the triangle was over, and it hurt her heart to think about what would happen to her when she was left all alone.

Was she the only one worried? Maya obviously felt secure enough to the leave them to their own devices. With a determined nod, she made a decision. She was going to do what made her happy, just for a little bit.

If this was all she had, this magical week in paradise with the boy she was pretty sure she loved, then she was going to enjoy it and hope that would be enough to hold onto when she lost him for good. Even if she only had him to be balanced and fair.

Lucas had started looking at her like she had a fever, concern mixed with worry, so she gave him a brilliant smile. "I'm pretty sure I was told there would be cotton candy."

Lucas could hardly believe how easily everything fell into place when he finally started telling people what he wanted and asking his friends for help. Smackle made him feel hopeful that they could get out of this with minimal damage.

And Zay... Had Lucas not been so self-involved, he might have seen what was right in front of him all along. When he first moved to New York, his parents let him go home to Texas to visit a lot, and he practically lived on his phone, in constant contact with his old friends.

Zay always seemed overly interested in Maya from the moment he told him about her homework rebellion. He had immediately asked about her looks, and Lucas described her, blonde, skinny, short, standardly beautiful.

Zay, not knowing the girls, had taken to calling her the blonde beauty, but Lucas made sure he knew who Riley was. That first semester, he told Zay more Riley stories than anything else, but Zay always made sure to ask what was going on with the blonde beauty. Lucas tried to appease his curiosity, but honestly he was so enamored with Riley, he barely noticed anyone else.

As he grew closer with Farkle and the girls, he grew further from Texas and from Zay. Like most young kids who moved to new places, he slowly stopped visiting, stopped calling. Eventually he got a new cell phone with a New York area code. He didn't even bother to give his number to anyone from his old life.

When Zay brought up the old nickname for Maya, he could have strangled him. He couldn't take it back. He did say it, but he said so much more about Riley. Riley was so much more than her pretty hair and enchanting smile. She was so much more than her legs that won't quit and her perfect figure.

Her personality, her kindness, her sense of humor, her friendship. She was the very definition of the whole package, and he couldn't imagine his life without her. The person he was before her was a stranger to him.

He truly believed he was always meant to move to New York, to meet her, to be changed by her. He just had to figure out a way to hold onto her, to make sure when the time came she would want to hold onto him as well.

Shaking his head, he forced his mind to stop wandering. Walking along the boardwalk with Riley, their hands casually brushing against each other, was all he ever wanted. She led him to a booth that sold cotton candy, and he bought her a pink stick and himself a blue one, knowing full well she would wind up eating both, before she had time to reach into her pocket and pay herself.

"Thank you, Lucas," she said sincerely.

They walked the entire length of the promenade, people watching and sharing light conversation. Just like Lucas predicted, when Riley finished off her cotton candy, he offered his own, and she ate the rest of his as well. He couldn't help but smile as she licked the last bit of the sticky sweetness off her fingers.

Not for the first time, he wanted to kiss her. Heck, it wasn't even the first time today. If he ever questioned which girl was right for him, he only had the urge to kiss Maya one time, in Texas. Even then, he wasn't thinking about kissing her, he was thinking about shutting her up, thinking about Riley, thinking about how everything got so out of control.

The minute he started thinking about kissing her, he stopped himself. Kissing Maya would mean losing Riley. One moment with Maya was never worth losing all the thousands of moments with Riley. How he wished he knew Riley was lying to him back then!

He believed her because she had never lied to him, never given him a reason to doubt her. He should have known. He should have realized she would do anything, even lie, to give her friends what they wanted.

As they circled back around, he noticed Zay and Maya out of the corner of his eye, playing a basketball game. Zay was beating her by 10 points, but the smile on Maya's face said it all.

He nudged Riley, pointing out their best friends, hoping she would see what he saw. "They are quite the pair, aren't they?"

Riley smiled when she noticed them along with Frank, who had a serious expression on his face, despite all the colorful stuffed animals he was carrying. He seemed to be shadowing Maya, quietly cheering her on.

They watched their best friends for a moment, long enough to see Zay win, pick out a stuffed monkey, and present it to Maya, who had been pretending to cry over her devastating defeat. When she saw the toy, she gave it a huge squeeze, intentionally acting over-the-top excited, before handing it over to Frank.

"Come on, Riley. It's getting dark. I want to see everything lit up from the Ferris wheel."

As they stood in line for the ride, Riley's hand brushed against his once more. This time, he reached out for it, squeezing gently when she allowed him to hold her hand. As he expected, she blushed, using her free hand to brush a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Are you having fun?" Lucas asked.

Riley nodded, hesitating before she elaborated, "It's really nice spending time with you, just you, every once in a while."

"I like spending time alone with you, too," Lucas replied. He felt like he couldn't stop smiling, and he was sure he looked like an idiot with a goofy grin pasted to his face.

When it was their turn to get on the ride, Lucas helped Riley into the seat, not letting go of her hand. Sitting so close to him that she could feel his body heat, Riley couldn't help but shiver.

"Are you cold?" Lucas asked when they were stopped near the top as the worker was letting on more people.

Riley nodded, not wanting to tell him the real reason. Moments later, Lucas had wrapped an arm around her, using his hand to rub up and down her arm.

"Better?" he asked.

Riley gulped, turning to look at him. With his arm around her, his face was close hers. She didn't realize it, but she subconsciously licked her lips. Lucas was drawn to the movement. He leaned in and-

Both Riley and Lucas were jarred out of the moment when the ride suddenly started moving again. At the very top, Riley couldn't help but stare in wonder, the boardwalk looked enchanting with all the strings of lights surrounding each booth lit up.

Lucas gave a cursory glance at the magic around him, but quickly focused his attention on the girl next to him. Her eyes were lit in amazement, a giggle coming from her lips. She wore her heart on her sleeve. It was one of the things Lucas loved best about her, the way she loved things openly and thoroughly. He grabbed her chin, turning her to look at him.

"You are so beautiful, Riley," he whispered in awe. Neither one of them realized the ride had been moving, so caught up in each other's stare.

Lucas leaned in once more, and Riley closed her eyes in anticipation.

"Hey! Ride's over, lovebirds!" The ride attendant called as he lifted the safety bar from their laps.

Lucas sighed. He was so close to kissing her, and he was sure she was going to let him. He started to reach for her hand again, but she was distracted by a large stuffed animal at a nearby booth. Lucas followed her eyes, a large grin forming when he saw what she was looking it.

The game itself was fairly simple. All he had to do was swing a hammer and make the bell ring. He had played this game at the county fair in Texas enough times to know how to win it, but he was worried that this version might be rigged. Taking one last look at Riley, he knew he had to try.

He handed the man his money, grabbed the hammer, took a deep breath, and gave it his best shot. The little ball went up, and he held his breath until he heard the telltale ding of the bell.

He gestured to the prize of his choice and his heart swelled up, watching Riley bounce on her toes and clap her hands.

"Yaaaay!" Riley squealed as he handed her the large purple kitten. "Lucas, I love it!"

She gave him a quick hug, and then squeezed the toy to her chest, reminding him of the show Maya put on earlier. The difference was Riley was genuinely thrilled. "Oh, I'm going to name her Violet! Isn't that perfect?"

Lucas laughed. "Absolutely perfect!"

It wasn't long before they received a text message from Farkle, saying it was time to meet at the van to go home. Lucas slowed down his movements, walking at a lazy pace, wanting to stay in this bubble with her for as long as possible. When they finally reached the van, they were the last ones there.

Maya was happily stuffing her face with her victory funnel cake, and Zay had grabbed her cheek, wiping some powdered sugar off the corner of her mouth with his thumb. Frank was loading the van up with bags from the museum gift shop and trinkets from the many booths. Farkle and Smackle were already in the van, Smackle talking a mile a minute about a butterfly she wanted to look for on their hike tomorrow.

Lucas stilled his movements, pulling Riley between two cars, out of eyesight of the van. "I had a really great time today."

Riley giggled. "I did, too, Lucas."

"That's good. I'm glad. Uh," Lucas awkwardly scratched the back of his neck before leaning in and hugging her. "I just wanted to thank you, Riley. Talking to you, spending time with you. It's the only thing I wanted to come out of this trip."

Riley blushed and buried her face in his chest, wanting to remember what it felt like to be in his arms. Before she could talk herself out of it, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, so soft and fleeting, Lucas thought he imagined it.

Before he could blink, she was out of his arms and skipping towards their friends, proudly showing off the cat he won her. He leisurely followed behind her, giving himself a minute to calm his breathing, but he couldn't gain control of his face to stop his goofy grin from giving himself away.

Zay met his eyes over the top of the girls' heads, the smile on his face mirroring his own. Lucas allowed himself a small sliver of hope that it was only a matter of time before he could tell her everything. After a night like tonight, she had to know he was crazy about her, right?

* * *

 **The fluff! I couldn't resist giving my babies a treat. Riley deserves a magical night. I can't believe we are 9 chapters in. At first the idea of writing a long story overwhelmed me, but I have a lot more story to tell! It's only Monday! They still have a lot of vacation left. Next, Smackle attempts girl talk, and how long can Farkle _really_ stay out it? See you soon!**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Two chapters in one day?! This one is just a filler to end their first day of vacation. Smackle is trying to get the girls to really think about what's been going on. As excited as I was about the last chapter, I am not excited about this one. Maya is a puzzle to me. I think she is holding on to a lot of issues from her father abandoning her and her mother not being around, and I wish the show would have delved deeper into how Riley developing a connection with someone else might make those feelings of abandonment return.**

 **Remember how Riley wrote insecurity on her forehead? Well, Maya wrote broken, and I truly believe she is a lot more broken than anyone realizes.**

 **Again, enough ranting. Enjoy! This is my second chapter of the day, so if you are confused, go read the chapter before, you might have missed the update earlier.**

* * *

 **Monday, June 30th 11:00 p.m.**

Farkle walked Smackle to her bedroom door, like a true gentleman, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Good night, my dear!" she called after him as he walked down the hallway.

She went into her room, put on a pair of pajama shorts and an over-sized T-shirt, and cautiously stepped out into the hallway.

Glancing in all directions, she tiptoed to Riley's room. She knocked lightly and stepped in without waiting for a response.

Riley was sitting on her bed, wearing her own pajamas, brushing out her hair slowly. Smackle took a deep breath, reminding herself that Farkle needed her help, their friends needed her help, before diving head first into this uncomfortable situation. Smackle had never had girl friends before, and she wasn't exactly versed in all social situations. She could only hope that she was helping her friends, not hurting them more.

"Hey, Riley," Smackle said, waving awkwardly.

"Hey, Smackle," Riley gave her an uncertain smile. "What's up?"

Smackle came and sat next to her on the bed. "Well, I know you had a date with Lucas tonight, and obviously you can't talk to Maya about it. I thought maybe you might want to talk. This situation can't be easy on you."

Riley set her hairbrush down, staring at her hands in her lap. "I'm fine. I just don't want anyone to get hurt. I had fun tonight. Thanks for asking."

Smackle shook her head. "While I appreciate the blunt response, I know you aren't being entirely truthful. Farkle told me to stay out of it, but I fear our silence is making things worse."

"Farkle told you to stay out of it?"

Smackle nodded, figuring she could fib just a little bit to help the situation. "He told me we needed to respect your boundaries and your ability to make your own decisions. And while I agree, I don't think respecting your space necessarily means I can't offer to be a sounding board during this confusing time."

"I can't believe Farkle actually listened to what I had to say..." Riley murmured more to herself than to Smackle.

"Of course, he would listen. Farkle is a good friend. I realize he made some mistakes, but he really had his heart in the right place. There was no way he could have anticipated what happened next."

Riley nodded. "None of us could."

"I, for one, think it was a good thing for your feelings to be out in the open before Maya and Lucas did something they couldn't take back."

Riley nodded again. "I guess that's true. I just wish everything could go back to the way it was before."

Smackle stiffly wrapped her arms around Riley. "Maybe everyone will wind up somewhere better than they were before. I was really ashamed and embarrassed when everyone realized I had Asperger's, but Farkle and I wouldn't be together now if I hadn't opened up to him. I would never have become friends with everyone."

"I'm so glad Farkle found someone like you, Smackle. You two compliment each other so well. I have never seen Farkle so happy."

"And I have never seen Lucas smile as much as he did tonight in the van. Riley, _you_ make him happy. Not Maya."

Riley shrugged and began picking at the stitching of the comforter they were sitting on. "I think that's for Lucas to decide."

Smackle nodded. "It is, but you took that decision out of his hands in Texas, and ever since then no one is talking or deciding anything. Riley, you have to talk to someone."

"Zay and I have talked," she responded.

"That's good," Smackle replied. "It's great that you and Zay have gotten closer, but I know Farkle is really hurting because you won't talk to him, and I know things with you and Maya have been strained. I just think no matter who ends up with Lucas, fixing your friendships is just as important."

"I know. I just don't know how to. We are all stuck. The confusion is muddling everything."

Smackle nodded. "Well, are you confused about your feelings for Lucas?"

Riley shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. She quickly swallowed them back. Smackle put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

"Trust your instincts, Riley. You have always worn your heart on your sleeve. Keep doing that. I think you already know deep down who belongs with who."

"We almost kissed tonight," Riley said quietly.

"That's great!" Smackle began to smile, thinking maybe things were progressing quicker than she expected.

"It's awful! Maya will never forgive me!" Riley shouted, getting off the bed. "Or worse- Lucas will have to kiss her to make things balanced!"

"Riley, I don't think Lucas would-"

"I'm not going to let him kiss me. If he wants to kiss me, he should pick me."

Smackle nodded. "I agree. You both need to be on the same page before things get physical...But Riley, don't you think, if he was trying to kiss you, that's a pretty good indicator that he wants to pick you?"

Riley plopped back down on the bed, resting her head on one hand. "I suppose that could be true... Or maybe he just got caught up in the moment, like he did in Texas with Maya?"

Smackle shrugged. "The only way you'll know for sure is if you ask him..."

Riley chewed her lip, deep in thought.

Smackle grinned mischievously, deciding to change the subject. "Zay and Maya seemed like they were having a good time, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Riley said absently. "Maya does love winning."

"Zay didn't seem to mind losing. I don't think I have ever seen him smile so big."

Riley's attention turned back to the shorter girl. "What are you getting at, Smackle?"

Smackle shrugged, unwilling to reveal Zay's secret. "I just think it would be rather nice if two friends, who had a lot in common, who enjoyed each other's company, realized that maybe there was more to it than that, don't you?"

Riley didn't allow herself to hope that everything could work out that perfectly. When did she become a person who couldn't hope for the best?

* * *

 **Monday, June 30th 11:30 p.m.**

Smackle left Riley's room, but, instead of going back to her own, she headed straight for Maya's. She knocked and waited for the blonde to open her door.

Maya rushed to the door, hoping it was Riley. She always had so much trouble sleeping in new quiet places alone. She did her best to hide the disappointment on her face when she realized it was Smackle, moving aside so she could enter the room.

"Can I help you, Smacks?"

"Actually," Smackle said, walking fully into the room and closing the door behind her. "I was wondering if I could help you."

"With what?"

Smackle took a seat on the bed and patted the space next to her, indicating she wanted Maya to take a seat. Maya was intrigued because she and Smackle had never really spent any alone time together.

"I have tried to stay out of this triangle mess because frankly it is none of my business, but it distressing my beloved."

"Well, I'm sorry Farkle's upset, but it really isn't your business."

"Fair enough," Smackle said, nodding. "I just have one thing to say. Riley is your best friend, and she knows she is in love with Lucas. Are you in love with Lucas? Or do you maybe just kind of, sort of, like him?"

Maya kept her face still, revealing nothing.

"Did you have fun today with Zay? Did you think about Lucas once? Were you jealous, wondering what he and Riley were doing?"

Again, Maya didn't respond.

"You don't have to tell me anything, Maya, and I'm sure once upon a time you really were trying to do right by Riley. Lately though, haven't you felt like you are just making the same reckless decisions over and over again? Do you really care deeply for Lucas? Or is a small part of you jealous that he was taking up all of Riley's attention and time? Are you just testing him?"

"That's a lot more than one thing, Smackle. I'm sorry if I'm being short with you, and I do appreciate that you're trying to help. I just can't answer your questions because I have no idea. I don't know why I'm doing what I'm doing. I don't know if what I feel for Lucas is a deep, romantic love. I care about him in a way I've never cared about any before, besides Riley."

"I'm sorry, Maya. I believe things have been spiraling out of control for a long time. I know you are impulsive and you go too far without thinking. I just don't want you to go somewhere you can't come back from. Riley's too important to lose. Is Lucas worth losing her over?"

That one Maya did answer. " _Nothing_ is worse losing Riley over."

"Are you worried that maybe she doesn't feel the same?"

Smackle left then, leaving Maya with a lot to think about. The truth was she still didn't know how she felt about Lucas, and she really wasn't jealous today. She had way too much fun with Zay to even have time to be jealous.

From the moment they got in the bumper cars until Zay bought her the funnel cake, she hadn't given Lucas a second thought. They had spent the whole evening joking and teasing, maybe even flirting a little bit, and the only time she thought about Lucas was when she happened to see him and Riley in line for the ferris wheel.

Come to think of it, they were holding hands, and it didn't bother her at all. She remembered being glad that Riley seemed to be having a good time. She wanted Riley to have a magical romantic evening. She had suspected for a long time that Lucas would choose Riley.

She was just stubbornly waiting for him to make the choice. She wanted Lucas to definitively say who he wanted, so Riley wouldn't have any more doubts, so they all could move on with a clean break from this triangle.

Maybe she was testing him, trying to make sure he was good enough for Riley, that he would fight for her. Maybe she had inserted herself into Riley's relationship as a way to keep Riley close because the truth was, she was afraid Riley would leave her behind.

The more she thought about it, the thought of losing Riley hurt way more than the thought of losing Lucas, and it scared her to think that Riley felt the opposite, that she could live without Maya, but Lucas was now the most important person in her life.

She always said she was broken, but maybe she was far more broken than she realized. Her fear of abandonment ran deep, so deep she was always destroying things before they could destroy her.

The only person who had never abandoned her or let her down was Riley, and Lucas was the only person who had ever made her imagine a life where it wasn't her and Riley, living in an apartment together with a bunch of cats for all time. Maybe she did feel threatened by Lucas.

What the heck was wrong with her? God, she was a freaking mess.

* * *

 **So... their first day in the Hamptons has given everyone a lot to think about. Coming up next Farkle and Riley have a lot to talk about, and I might throw in another flashback. See you soon!**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Work has been crazy this week, but I wanted to get an update out as soon as possible. So here's the beginning of the next morning. I'm hoping to get a couple chapters up this weekend, but we will see how it all works out. Enjoy! Thanks for the support!**

* * *

 **Tuesday, July 1st 8:00 a.m.**

Cedar Point County Park, where they planned on spending the day hiking and picnicking in the woods and along the beach, was about 45 minutes away, and even though they didn't plan on leaving until 10:30 or so, Maya was already up and ready. She had on her favorite pair of sneakers, some cut-off jean shorts, and a fitted Aerosmith T-shirt that she found in a thrift shop. She French braided her hair into pigtails and put on light makeup, knowing they would be outside most of the day.

She had a hard time sleeping last night after her conversation with Smackle. She thought long and hard about her relationship with Lucas. Her favorite thing was that they could tangle, she would tease him, and he would take it.

But was that really enough to build a relationship on? She knew Lucas was a nice guy. He treated her well. He was good to his friends. Obviously he was attractive, but did they have any real sort of connection, besides what they had through Riley?

It was their mutual love of Riley that first brought them into each other's orbit. She spent the majority of 7th grade doing whatever she could to support her best friend's crush. She teased him back then because he let her, because he could take it, unlike her two other friends. It was nice to have someone around who seemed to never be bothered by the rough edges of her personality.

And Riley never seemed bothered either. She always allowed the two of them to have their games and jokes. She never imposed on them or got jealous. Riley always trusted her intentions and saw them as innocent. Weren't they innocent always innocent?

She needed to talk to Riley.

Deciding that it couldn't wait, she crossed the hallway and walked straight into Riley's room without knocking. Much to her surprise, Riley and Smackle were both up and dressed for the day. Riley was wearing a pair of capri leggings with an empire-waist shirt that tied in the middle. Her hair was piled high on top of her head. Smackle had on a flowered tanktop that Maya was pretty sure belonged to Riley and some high-waisted black shorts.

They were giggling about something as Riley curled Smackle's hair. Looking at the two of them, Maya felt a bit replaced. When was the last time they acted so comfortable around each other?

"Hey, guys..." Maya said uncertainly.

"Maya! I thought I was going to have to come wake you!" Riley exclaimed, sounding genuinely cheerful.

"No, I've been up for a while," she said, indicating her outfit, makeup, and hair.

"We woke up early, too," Smackle replied.

"There! All done," Riley said with a flourish of her styling wand. "Farkle isn't going to know what hit him!"

Maya looked confused. "I thought we were going on a hike."

Smackle smiled. "We are, but after the picnic Farkle and I are going to try to find some butterflies. There are some longwings in the area that neither one of us have in our collections."

"Oh, do you two need help?" Maya asked.

Smackle shook her head, standing up. "Honestly, I'm looking forward to a romantic afternoon of catching insects with my guy."

"Romantic?" Maya questioned with an eyebrow raised.

"Well, I think it's sweet that you two have so much in common! You guys are so perfect for one another!"

Maya spared a glance to Riley's already-made bed, the purple cat proudly sitting in the middle. "Speaking of perfect, did you have fun last night, Riles?"

Riley smiled at the cat before turning back to Maya with a passive look on her face. "It was fun. You know how much I love the boardwalk."

"Me, too! I had so much fun kicking Zay's butt! Although, I think he let me win the tie-breaker... It was that shooting game, and he's from freaking Texas!"

All three girls laughed. "Let's go down and get some breakfast."

"Riley, can you hold on a second? I really want to talk to you."

Riley exchanged a glance with Smackle. "Well, I don't want our breakfast to get cold."

"It will be real quick, honey. I promise."

Smackle smiled at the two girls before bringing her hand to Riley's shoulder. "I'll save you some pancakes."

She rushed out of the room, scooping up the two boys as on her way to the patio where Grace had a breakfast buffet all set up, and her boyfriend was waiting.

She gave Farkle a hug and told the boys that the other two girls would be down in a minute, smiling at the thought that her plotting might actually work out this time.

Back in Riley's room, the two girls stood awkwardly. "What's up, Maya?"

Maya plopped down the bed, taking the cat in her hands. "I love you, Riles."

Riley came to sit next to her. "Well, I love you, too, Peaches."

"And you love Lucas."

Riley was silent.

"I don't know if I love him," Maya continued. "But I know you do. You always have."

Riley shrugged, not making eye contact.

"I don't want to stand in the way of that anymore," she said, reaching out to grab her sister's hand, but Riley had shot up quickly.

"God, Maya. Don't do this."

"Do what?" she asked, sounding confused.

"Don't play the martyr, giving me Lucas, like he is just a skirt that you think looks better on me."

"That's not what I'm doing. I'm trying to do the right thing."

Riley laughed humorlessly. "The right thing? How is you stepping back the right thing?"

She could feel herself losing control. The tight hold she had on her emotions pressing down until everything squeezed around it, but she found herself not caring. "If you step back, you win. I may have Lucas, but I will always wonder if he wants you. It will be this huge wedge between me and him. We'll break up, clearing the way for the two of you."

Maya stood up this time. "How could you say that? How could you think that? I'm saying you can have Lucas. Forever. If you date a guy, I would never, ever date him."

Riley laughed again. "Well, I already dated Lucas, and look where we are now."

Maya shook her head, the shock evident all over her face. "That's not the same thing. I am trying to make up for all this. I didn't know."

"Come on, Maya. You _knew._ You were already starting to develop feelings for him, so you came up with that brother crap to make yourself feel better. I let you believe it because I wanted you to be happy. I stepped back for you at my own expense, and you just let me."

Maya stood there, feeling like she had been slapped in the face, wondering how everything went so wrong. "I'm sorry, Riley. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I'm trying to make it right, doesn't that count for something?"

"The only way you can make this right is by letting Lucas decide now. I need to know who he wants to be with, if he really wants me. We will never work out if he has unresolved feelings for you"

Maya was quiet for a long moment, so long Riley thought the conversation was over and headed towards the door. "Lucas is going to choose you, Riley."

"Oh, I see what this is now. We spent some time together last night, and you got jealous. You're stepping back to save face."

"That's not what I'm doing, Riley! Even if he chooses me, I won't date him. I don't know how I feel about him, but I know how I feel about you, and hurting you isn't something I do. It's not in my job description."

With her hand on the doorknob, not facing Maya, she responded softly, "Well, then you're fired because all you've done is hurt me for months."

With that, Riley walked out the door, leaving behind a devastated Maya, who clutched the purple cat and promptly burst into tears.

* * *

 **AN: What'd you think? This was another chapter that I did not have fun writing for multiple reasons. I think it's important that Maya and Riley fight because there's so much not being said otherwise, but it's hard to write them fighting because we really never see it happen and it hurts my heart a bit. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for sticking with me on this journey! See you soon!**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: To make up not updating all week, here's two updates in one day! Make sure you read chapter 11 before you read this one. Fair warning, a lot is going on in this chapter. A lot of conversation, teenage angst, fighting, sappiness, and making up.**

 **I hope you enjoy it, and the next chapter should be a bit lighter and fluffier to keep things even. LOL!**

* * *

 **Tuesday, July 1st 8:30 a.m.**

"I don't want to brag," Smackle said when Farkle left the table. "But you all should have put me in charge of your lives sooner."

"Why's that, Smackle?" Lucas asked with a grin.

"We can cross number 4 off our list. I guarantee the girls are making up as we speak," she said, a self-satisfied smile on her face.

"I hope so," Zay replied. "I want the real Maya and Riley back. They keep saying all these back-handed compliments to each other and they barely even talk or sit next to each other."

Farkle had returned, catching the tail end of what Zay had said. "The girls have always been opposite sides of the same coin. It feels strange to see their relationship so strained, especially when neither one of them is willing to acknowledge it."

Lucas kept quiet but nodded his head. He hated that he was the reason their relationship had lost its spark.

"Well, don't worry, my love, because I have fixed every-"

Smackle stopped talking mid-sentence as Riley came rushing out of the house. Zay was leaning against the railing of the large patio deck and quickly stood up straight holding his arms out.

Without looking at any of her other friends, Riley fell into Zay's arms sobbing painfully.

"Oh, Sugar," he mumbled, bringing his arms around her and stroking her hair softly. "What happened?"

Time seemed frozen as everyone stared at the brunette in shock. She was crying so violently, she couldn't talk, couldn't explain what had happened. Every time she tried to catch her breath, she would hiccup and cry all over again.

"Farkle, get Maya," Lucas said, not taking his eyes off Riley

Farkle nodded and raced inside the house. Smackle turned to follow him, having a feeling that Maya was definitely _not_ what Riley needed right now.

Lucas slowly approached his two best friends, reaching out to rub Riley's back. "Riley, are you okay? Farkle went to go get Maya. I'm sure you need-"

"No!" she shouted. "I can't see her! She can't see me!"

Lucas was taken aback, and Zay pulled her back to get a good look at her face. "What happened, sweetie?"

"We got into a fight. I just need some space."

Lucas and Zay met each other's eyes over her head.

"Why don't you guys go ahead and go on the hike, and Riley and I will stay here?" Lucas asked. "Come on, Riles. We'll go to the beach."

Riley shook her head. "No, no. We agreed this vacation was about all of us spending time together. I'll go to the bathroom and clean up and then we can go."

Like flipping a switch, Riley's tears had dried up, and she smiled brilliantly at the two boys. "I'm fine. We'll be fine."

When she walked away, Zay punched Lucas hard in the arm.

Rubbing his forearm, Lucas asked indignantly, "What was that for?"

"Oh, you know what it was for! I'm going to go check on Maya," Zay said, stalking back into the house.

With that, Lucas was left alone on the patio. He kicked the railing and decided to go for a walk on the beach to cool off.

Zay was shocked to find Maya just as distraught as Riley in Farkle's arms. Smackle was apologizing profusely, anxiously hovering over the two as if she didn't know what to do with herself or her hands, and Maya was shaking her head.

"You were right about everything, Smackle! And now I've lost her!" Maya sobbed.

"You didn't lose her, Maya. You just have to let this thing play out. I'm sorry that Riley upset you, but she needed to get all those negative feelings off her chest. Maybe now you guys can move forward."

Maya pulled away from Farkle, realizing Zay was in the room. He was a little surprised to see her quickly wiping her face and adjusting her pigtails like she didn't want him to see her like that. Didn't she trust him?

"Hey, honey."

Looking at Farkle and Smackle, he said, "Riley's washing up her face and then we can go."

Feeling dismissed, the geniuses left the room. Smackle told Farkle to go after Riley, and she left in search of Lucas.

"Okay, now that mom and dad have left the building, tell me what happened, darling."

Maya sighed, leaning into Zay's embrace as they both sat on the edge of Riley's bed. "I've been thinking lately, and I know that this triangle is ruining the most important relationship in my life."

Zay nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"I told Riley I was stepping back, that I thought Lucas would choose her, and she got upset. She accused me of manipulating the situation to get Lucas, and when I told her that I would never date Lucas if she dated him, everything turned into a big mess. I'm just trying to do the right thing, and I think she may really hate me now."

"Riley could _never_ hate you. I know you think you're doing what's right, but everything has been so horrible for Riley, she's not ready to see your side of it right now. She has been in love with Lucas for a long time."

Maya nodded. "I know, I know. I'm a horrible friend. I should have never gone down this road, no matter what I thought about how Riley felt. I'm her sister. Sisters don't date each other's exes, especially when the relationship wasn't clearly over."

"Maya, there aren't hard and fast rules for how friends should react in these situations. Sometimes you can't help who you fall for."

His last statement seemed to convey meaning that she wasn't ready for, so she ignored it and plowed on. "Yes, that's true, but this isn't some random guy she went to the movies with, like that Charlie Gardener. Lucas was her first crush, her first date, her first kiss. No matter how I was feeling or what I thought she was feeling, I should have never gone there. That is on me, Zay."

"Okay, so you told Riley that. She can have Lucas, and you're free to find your own boyfriend."

Maya nodded. "That's what I wanted to do, but she told me I had to stay in this triangle because she needs to know that Lucas picked her because of her, not because I stepped away."

Zay smacked his forehead. "You three are giving me a migraine! She wants Lucas, Lucas wants her! Why are you all making it so complicated?"

Maya bit her lip, frowning. "What should I do?"

Zay gave out a long, tired sigh. "Unfortunately, I think you have to do whatever Riley wants at this point. She deserves that much."

Zay tried his best not to sound disappointed. In their entire conversation, not once did Maya actually say she didn't have feelings for Lucas, just that she shouldn't act on those feelings. He felt discouraged, wondering if this girl would ever see the real him.

"But, Maya, you deserve happiness, too. You deserve a real crush, a real date, a real kiss. You deserve someone who noticed you first, wanted you first, who is crazy about you and only you."

He brushed a stray hair off her face, both of them leaning in without realizing it. He broke the spell, looking down at their joined hands. How had that happened?

He chuckled silently. "I'm just saying, right now it's Riley's time. I think you might be a bit envious of that, but I promise you one day, you'll look over and see someone, and your heart will skip a beat. You aren't losing Riley, Maya. You're gaining the hope that one day, you'll find your own Lucas... Who isn't Lucas, of course."

Maya laughed at the joke. "Come on, Romeo. Let's go take a hike."

Farkle waited patiently for Riley to come out of the bathroom. When she finally walked out, you would never have thought she spent the last half hour crying her eyes out.

"You ready to go, Farkle?" she asked with a smile.

"No, Riley. I'm not. I'm not ready to go because my two oldest friends have spent the morning in tears, and I can't even say or do anything to make it better because I promised you I wouldn't!" he shouted, breathing heavily.

Riley's eyes widened. "Farkle..."

"No, Riley," Farkle said, putting a hand up. "Let me finish. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I didn't handle the situation better. I'm sorry that you felt humiliated and alone. Heck, I'm sorry that I didn't stop you in Texas from telling this lie in the first place. But mostly, I'm sorry that when you told me to stay out of it, I listened."

"Farkle!"

"I can't stay out of it, Riley! You are my family. You, Maya, Lucas, Zay, and Smackle... You're it. I'm weird and demanding and... I'm hard to love, Riley. I know it, and for some crazy reason, you all love me. You all accept me for who I am. I want what's best for you, for all of you, and I'm smart enough to know this isn't your best. This isn't you."

Riley was stunned, speechless.

"I support you in everything you do, and I will always try to do what you ask of me, but, Riley, when you are hurting, when you're hurting yourself, I cannot, I will not, just sit idly by and do nothing. Please, don't ask me to anymore."

Riley wrapped Farkle in a hug. "I'm sorry that I hurt you, Farkle. I know you weren't trying to be malicious. I know that you don't always understand how to handle things. I shouldn't have waited so long to tell you how I was feeling."

Riley sighed, an arm still wrapped around Farkle's shoulder, as they walked towards the front of the house. "I tried so hard to make sure everyone else was happy that I ignored my own feelings until they got too big to ignore. Now I just feel like I'm blowing up on everyone all the time. How's Maya?"

Farkle smiled. "I have a feeling she will be alright. I don't know what you said to her, Riles, but you weren't wrong to tell her how you've been feeling. Whether she meant to or not, she hurt you. Whether I meant to or not, I hurt you. And whether Lucas meant to or not, he hurt you, too. We all owe you an apology."

"I don't need apologies, Farkle. I need my friends. And for the record, you are so easy to love, Farkle."

Zay and Maya were already at the front door when they arrived. Both girls stopped what they were doing and ran to each other.

Speaking the same thing at the same time, they said, "I was wrong. I'm sorry. No, you were right. I'm sorry. I love you."

They hugged. Then Maya spoke, "You are the very best part of me, and I haven't appreciated that enough. I am sorry I took you and our friendship for granted."

"I'm sorry I let you."

"Yeah, haven't I taught you not to let anyone, not even me, walk all over you?"

Riley nodded. "I should have never spoken to you the way I did today."

Maya shrugged. "I deserved it, and I can take it."

They hugged again. "Where the heck are Smackle and Lucas?"

Zay joked, "Maybe this love triangle is becoming a hexagon."

Maya met his eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. "Maybe."

Smackle found Lucas throwing rocks into the ocean. "Is that a good way to release aggression?"

Lucas shrugged. "I don't deserve either one of them."

"No, you don't," Smackle agreed. "But the good thing is, Riley picks you anyway. She sees the good in you anyway, even when you don't, you're lucky to have her."

"But I don't want to destroy her in the process, Smackle."

Smackle put a hand on his shoulder, halting his movements. "She needed to yell at Maya, and she'll probably need to yell at you. We're getting somewhere. She's reacting again; she's feeling again."

Lucas kicked the sand. "She's hurting again."

Smackle nodded, turning him towards the house. "Change inevitably hurts, but she's strong. Stronger than most people realize. She has managed to take 5 individuals, who are damaged and odd and insane, and make us a family. We'll get through this, together, but only if we stay together, Lucas. Nobody walks away, not even you."

They headed back to the house, both silent as Lucas thought over her words.

Everyone was waiting at the van when they arrived, even Frank.

"I just wanted to say," Lucas started. "I'm sorry. All of you. This mess isn't just hurting the three of us, it's hurting all of us, and I promise that by the time this week is through, we'll all be happy again."

He locked eyes with Riley, hoping she understood his words. Zay clapped him in the back, putting his arm around him and Smackle, leading them to the car.

"I think we've all had enough drama, tears, and apologies for one day. Let's have some fun shall we?"

Everyone agreed, and Farkle insisted Maya and Riley sit in the back with him, so they could look at pictures from past trips to the beach. They spent the ride giggling about inside jokes with Smackle and Lucas playing an intense game of Zombies Ate My Parents 6, and Zay sat up front with Frank, controlling the radio, much to Frank's dismay.

He looked back, watching his five friends. For the first time since he moved to New York, he felt at home.

* * *

 **AN: So...how was that? Maya is finally noticing Zay a bit, Farkle and Riley are on the right path, and Smackle is basically awesome. This chapter was different to write because I had a lot going on at once and a lot of different people talking. I felt like it was a bit over the top, but I remember being a teenager, and most of the time I was a bit over the top, too. Hope you liked it. Coming up we'll have some cute Smarkle time, and some funny misunderstanding with the lovesquare in the woods! See you soon!**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: I know! I'm the worst! I meant to update a couple days ago, but life got in the way. Anyways, here's the latest chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Tuesday, July 1st 12:30 p.m.**

Riley and Maya had found the perfect picnic spot. It was on the edge of the woods, on the beach, but still shaded, overlooking the old lighthouse. Grace had made sure to pack a large spread when she realized most of her breakfast hadn't been eaten.

Riley, Maya, and Farkle seemed to have found their footing again, and, while Smackle did feel slightly left out, she couldn't be happier for them. After they finished eating, Maya was throwing grapes that Riley was trying to catch in her mouth, and Farkle was coaching them and cheering them on.

"Arc your arm a bit more, Maya. Riles, bend your neck back more."

Somehow, Riley managed to catch one without choking. She stood up, arms raised, screaming in victory. Maya stood up as well and jumped into her arms, making Ah-ing noises.

Zay was taking pictures of the whole show, but Lucas had been oddly subdued ever since Frank dropped them off.

The girls started pretending to give speeches for their great achievement as if they were getting an award.

"And I'd like to thank our dear friend Farkle, who taught me to open my mouth wider..."

They all were giggling and laughing so hard, Farkle's stomach was starting to hurt. He looked over at Smackle, and his heart filled with love. She wasn't watching the girls like everyone else; she was watching him with a soft smile on her face.

Farkle knew he was so lucky to have her, and he knew he would not be sitting on this blanket laughing with his friends if not for her. He truly believed he and Smackle were meant to be together. It was one of the few things in his life that he accepted as fact without any scientific backing whatsoever. It was a fact all it's own.

"Smackle, my darling, are you ready to catch some fritillaries?"

Smackle immediately started gathering her things. "Of course."

Farkle reached out and took her hand. "There's a lovely meadow just down that trail over there. It'll be perfect."

Farkle turned to address their friends still on the blanket. "We'll be back in a couple hours. Want to just meet where Frank dropped us off?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Riley stood up and gave Smackle a quick hug, both girls giggling.

"Have fun, bestie!"

Riley and Smackle turned, pulling Maya up and bringing her in for a three-person hug, all three girls smiling wide genuine smiles.

Farkle regained his girlfriend's hand and led her down the path. "Did I ever tell you that you are the smartest, most amazing, most ingenious, person I have ever met?"

"Yes, you have, but you can keep telling me."

Farkle laughed. "I never want you to have to question my feelings for you, and I never want to have to questions yours."

Smackle stopped, taking Farkle's other hand and turning to face him. "No matter what happens, no one else will ever have my heart. I know we are very young, and the statistics for meeting your soulmate in middle school are probably not high, but you're the only person who has ever made me feel normal and special at all once."

Smackle took a deep breath nervously, but forced herself to continue. "I love you, Farkle."

"I love you, too, Isadora. I'm so glad you're coming to our school next year. I can't wait to spend more time with you. Even seeing you from the minute I wake up to the minute I go to sleep like I have these past couple days doesn't seem like enough. I will never get enough of you."

Smackle smiled, leaning in and allowing their lips to meet. Farkle made a move to deepen in the kiss, and for the first time, Smackle let him. They kissed shyly for a few minutes, pulling away and pecking each other's lips a couple times for good measure. Smiling gently at one another, Farkle took her head for a third time.

"Come on. I think we might see an Aphrodite!"

Zay nudged Maya, pointing out their two friends kissing on the path. She opened her mouth to catcall them, but Zay wrapped his arms around her, covering her mouth with his hand, so her words were muffled.

Maya glared at him over his fingers, causing him to laugh. She poked her tongue out and licked up his hand.

"Woman! That is not sanitary!" he screeched, releasing her.

Riley giggled at their antics as she finished picking up all the food and throwing away the trash, looking over at Lucas, who was still sitting on the blanket with a forlorn expression on his face. She nudged him with her foot. When he turned to look at her with a sad, forced, small, smile, she lunged at him. Tackling him to the ground, she pinned his arms above his head, straddling his lap.

"Why so grumpy, Gus?" she giggled, feeling lighter now that she had her two best friends back.

Lucas stared up at her face, wondering how this girl could care about him at all after how much he messed up her life. He finally shrugged because he couldn't put into words how disappointed he was with himself.

To his surprise, she began to tickle him mercilessly. "Lucas! Turn that frown upside down right now, mister!"

Despite himself, he began laughing hysterically. He looked over toward Maya and Zay, but they were wandering off down the trail in the opposite direction their other two friends went.

Riley didn't seem to notice they had been left alone as she relentlessly attacked his sides. Lucas flipped them over and began his own tickle assault. Riley started laughing hard and put her arms up, trying to defend herself, but her movement opened up her armpits to his wandering fingers.

"Lucas! I can't!" Panting heavily, Riley continued, "I can't breathe! Lucas! Stop! Lucas, please!"

Lucas held her arms up above her head, pinning them together at the wrists with one hand. His other hand was squeezing her side as she writhed and twisted, trying to jostle him off her hips. Clenching his thighs in an attempt to keep her in place, Lucas finally realized the position they were in.

She was spread out beneath him, panting heavily. The tie on her shirt had loosened during their scuffle, leaving him with a tantalizing view of her cleavage.

He idly stroked the bone on her hip, studying her face for signs of apprehension. She had finally caught her breath, a giggle evaporating from her throat as she realized how close they were. She looked down to see where their laps met and was surprised to see how revealing her shirt had become.

Lucas followed her eyes and was again hypnotized by her chest. He released her wrists to grab her hips more firmly. Leaning down to kiss her as she sat up on her forearms to fix her shirt caused them to bump heads, sending Lucas painfully crashing back down to earth.

This girl was not his to kiss. He scrambled to get off her, chastising himself for even contemplating it.

Riley rubbed her head with one hand while awkwardly straightening out her shirt.

"Gosh, Riley, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" he asked, hovering over her.

Riley nodded, scrunching her chin up as she tried to look down to tie her shirt back up. Lucas couldn't help but laugh at the picture she made, her neck and chin giving the illusion of having a double chin.

Finally satisfied with her shirt, she let her hair out of her falling ponytail. She ran her fingers through her hair, flipping it this way and that way, eyeing the boy in front of her all the while.

"Do I look okay?" she asked, gesturing to her face and hair.

He brushed an errant strand of hair off her shoulder, smoothed out the sleeve on her shirt, and replied, "perfect."

He gave her his most charming smile, the one he practiced in the mirror every time he had a picture day. She blushed and gave him a smile back, looking around and noticing for the first time they were alone.

"Where did Zay and Maya go?"

Lucas shrugged and pointed down the trail. Riley's eyes lit up. "I know where Maya's going!"

She reached for his hand, tossing the blanket in her pack. He grabbed her pack and gladly accepted her hand, allowing her to drag him down the trail.

The trail led them to a rather unkempt beach, wild grass poking throughout the mostly rock-filled sand. Following the edge of the woods, Riley guided him to a bluff with a small path up to an old-looking stone building.

"What's that?" Lucas asked, still holding her hand as they climbed to the top of the rock.

"It's an abandoned lighthouse. It's maintained by the historical society. You can actually go inside and climb up to the top. The view is amazing!"

Her passion and excitement enthralled him. He realized he would follow her anywhere, especially when she was so fervent about their destination.

When they reached the lighthouse, Lucas tugged her back before she could go in.

"What is it, Lucas?"

"I need to talk to you. I know we agreed to relax and have fun this week, but I have to tell you something."

"Lucas..."

"Just. Please, Riley. I'm sorry. I need you to know how sorry I am. I understand that we all played a part in this mess, but I'm the one who has allowed it to drag on."

Still holding hands, she stroked his with her thumb. "Lucas-"

"I have tried so hard to be different than what I was in Texas, so instead of fighting I just go along with everything. I wanted to make you happy. I wanted to make Maya happy. But, Riley, I can't make everyone happy all the time. Trying to do that has only hurt us all. And I never, ever wanted to hurt you, Riley."

"I know, Lucas, " she sighed. "I know you have been trying to take the path of least resistance, but maybe you should focus on what makes you happy, instead of worrying about everyone else."

Lucas set down their packs, grabbing Riley's shoulder and leaning slightly to look her in the eyes. "I am doing what makes me happy. Being here with you... Riley, it's all I ever wanted. I wish we could just go back and-"

Riley shook her head. "I do, too. But we can't go back. We can only move forward. We were always going to end up here. Maya and I... We have always shared everything. We have always been so tangled up and twisted around each other. Things were always going to get blurred. I have always wanted to be her. My jealousy would have come out. The two of you have always shared something I will never understand. And you and I...We would do anything for our friends, even at our own expense. It's one of the things I love most about you."

Lucas smiled, his voice cracking. "It's one of the things I love most about you, too. This feels like a goodbye. Don't give up on us just yet, please. Maya and I aren't-"

Riley shook her head. "Come on."

They walked into the lighthouse. There wasn't much to inside, except for a spiral staircase leading up to the lantern room. There were old dusty picture frames along the walls of the staircase, depicting how lighthouses worked and this lighthouse through the years.

Riley had been here many times, so she ignored all the pictures. Lucas looked at a few, but he had to keep hurrying to catch up with the girl who held his heart. They ended up practically racing each other until Riley stumbled towards the top, causing Lucas to catch her.

"Huh," Riley said when they reached the lantern room and Zay and Maya were nowhere in sight. "Where is she?"

Lucas wasn't paying attention to their missing friends. He was too busy looking out at the view. On the one side, all he could see was crisp, clear water and bright blue sky. On the other side, all he could see was gorgeous green grass and bright purple wildflowers.

Riley followed his eyes to the field and found their two friends lying awfully close together on the edge of the field looking up at the sky.

"Sorry," Riley murmured. "I know it can't be easy seeing your best friend getting close to someone you care about."

Lucas finally saw who she was looking at and quickly shook his head. "Riley, no. That's not it."

He turned her so she was looking at the ocean and the sky and slowly guided her around the entire circle. Despite herself, she couldn't help but marvel at the beautiful scene.

"Riley, I am in this beautiful place with this beautiful person, and I'm not thinking about anyone or anything else. All I want to do is kiss you."

Riley gasped, taking a step back as he took a step forward.

"Can I kiss you, Riley?" He asked, coming even closer until her back was pressed against the vast windows behind her. Riley snapped her eyes closed.

Just as he was leaning in, Riley frantically shook her head and ducked under his arm to create some distance between them. Lucas sighed, opening his eyes to see Maya and Zay laughing and rolling around on the ground, reminding him of the tickle fight he and Riley had earlier.

When he turned around, Riley was standing at the top of the stairs. "I want to kiss you, Lucas. I want to be kissed by you, so much, but not now. Not like this."

With that, she raced down the stairs as quickly as she could.

* * *

 **I don't know why this chapter was so difficult to write, and I'm not exactly thrilled with it. For some reason, I always write Riley running away from Lucas. What'd you think? Lucas is finally ready to man up, but Riley keeps running scared. Can you blame her? See you soon!**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: To the guest reviewer, who is worried about the triangle dragging, it's only Tuesday! Even though we are 14 chapters in, it's been 2 days. I promise, I'm trying to end things in a believable way with the characters staying true to themselves. Things are subtly moving forward. Maybe this chapter will reveal more of where everyone's heads are at? It's only Tuesday, but I promise once we get to the weekend, you'll see where I'm going. I hope you can stick it out, if not I understand. If you want to talk more, pm me and I'll discuss it in depth. I just don't want to reveal any potentially spoiler-y information in an author's note.**

 **Also, I am taking the weekend off because it's my birthday! I'll be at a Luke Bryan concert and then having some family time. If you're looking for some Rucas to hold you over, read some of my other fics! (Shameless plug, I know!)**

 **Man, I'm rambling tonight! On with the show!**

* * *

 **Tuesday, July 1st 3:00 p.m.**

"Uh, no way! That's the start of a scary movie if I ever saw one, and you know the black guys always die in those things!"

"Zay! It's just an old abandoned lighthouse!"

Maya giggled at Zay's refusal to climb the stairs. She allowed him to lead her to the meadow away from the lighthouse, and even though the hand in hers was a friendly gesture, she couldn't help but feel something swelling inside her.

"Zay! Slow down!" Maya laughed, trying to keep up.

He stopped abruptly, so she ran into him. "Hop up, princess!"

He squatted down, gesturing to his back. Hesitating slightly, she jumped up on him. "I'm definitely not a princess, Sparky. I think you have me confused with my leggy, gorgeous, brunette friend."

Zay laughed, jiggling her on his back. "To me, sweetheart, you're the gorgeous one. And you may not be tall as Riley, but you've still got a great pair of legs on you. Don't sell yourself short."

Maya leaned forward, trying to get a look at her friend's face, trying to read him.

"So, princess," he said, emphasizing the word. "Are you feeling better than you were this morning?"

Maya nodded, and immediately felt silly, realizing Zay couldn't see her. At the edge of the meadow, she slid off his back, all the way down to the grass. When she landed, she pulled on his legs, making him fall to the ground, both of them a heap of tangled limbs.

Zay rolled off her, and they ended up on their backs, staring at the sky.

"Things seem to be getting back on track," Maya said, finally answering Zay's earlier question.

Zay shook his head. "You all seem so deadset on getting things back to what the used to be. Has it ever occurred to any of you that you can't go back? That everything has already changed? You can't just hit the reset button and start over. Otherwise, you'll wind up in the exact same place."

Maya propped her head up, on one hand, turning to the side to face him. "I just want to be Maya and Riley. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, sugar, but I think Riley might want to be Riley and Lucas. Besides, there's nothing wrong with being just Maya."

Zay turned on his side to face her, not realizing how close they were to one another. Despite himself, he reached out to brush a piece of grass off her face.

"I think just Maya's pretty fabulous myself," he said softly.

It was a very rare occasion for Maya to be speechless. She always had a witty comeback, a snappy retort, a wisecrack, but staring into Zay's eyes, it felt like she was looking at him for the very first time.

Her mouth suddenly dry, she licked her lips, and Zay was drawn to the movement. Maya wasn't sure, but it felt like he was leaning in close to her, too close, impossibly close. Was she reading too much into the situation?

She had been in this position before... In Texas. With Lucas. She was so sure he was going to kiss her, so sure she wanted him to at the time. But now, months later, her memory of that night is hazy at best. Did she imagine all those feelings between them?

If that moment had been so undeniable, why hadn't they ever had any more? If Lucas really wanted to kiss her then, why didn't he? If she really wanted to kiss him, why didn't she? She had never hesitated before, so why did she then?

The only answer she could come up with was that deep down she knew kissing him was wrong. She knew he wasn't hers to kiss. But was Zay?

How could she be thinking about kissing Zay at a time like this? When everything was so up in the air? She was such a mess.

Not wanting to be pulled down that road with a friend again, Maya did the first thing that came to mind- she sprang at him, knocking him on his back and tickling his sides like she had seen Riley do to Lucas earlier.

Zay gave as good as he got, and they were soon rolling and laughing, battling for dominance. Somehow Maya had ended up on top, but Zay had her arms locked in his. Time seemed to freeze at that moment, neither one of them gaining ground against the other.

"Riley!"

They were both snapped out of their daze by the sound of Lucas shouting. Maya quickly disentangled herself and stood. She wiped the grass off her pants and straightened out her clothes.

Zay took note of her abrupt change in attitude. The minute she heard Lucas' voice she couldn't get away from him fast enough. Every time he thought they were getting closer, that she was finally seeing him, she pulled away. Because of Lucas.

Maya wasn't thinking about Lucas at all, though. She was thinking about the name he called. Frantically searching the meadow, she saw her sister running clumsily towards her. She held her arms out, but instead of running to her, Riley ran straight to Zay. Why did Riley keep turning to him?

Lucas was following behind her, and he, too, took note of whose arms Riley ran into. Just like this morning, she went to his best friend for comfort instead of him.

Earlier Riley accused him of having a relationship with Maya that she couldn't grasp, but somehow without him even noticing, she had developed a relationship with Zay that he couldn't even begin to touch.

He was jealous. Plain and simple. He had no right to be, but seeing Riley's mood immediately brighten, he couldn't help but wonder if this was how she felt when she saw him with Maya.

"Are you okay, Riles?" Maya asked softly as she shot Lucas a questioning glance.

Riley nodded, turning to her best friend. "I just remembered I promised Zay to show him the lighthouse!"

"Oh, honey, Zay doesn't want-"

"I'd love to, Sugar," Zay interrupted brightly, taking her hand and racing through the meadow.

They left Maya and Lucas standing there stunned. Lucas because he couldn't believe she was running from him yet again, and Maya because Zay happily agreed to go to the lighthouse with Riley and not her.

"So, what did you do this time, Huckleberry?" Maya asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice. Why was she so annoyed that her time with Zay had been interrupted? Shouldn't she be happy to spend some time with Lucas?

She had barely seen him all week, and honestly, she didn't mind. Every day it became more obvious that she had been so wrong about her feelings for Lucas. She wanted to clear the air with him, but she was worried that Riley would misinterpret her actions again.

Lucas sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He did not want to get into this with Maya. He had promised Zay he wouldn't say anything, but he wanted more than anything to extract himself from this triangle once and for all.

He was worried if he lost his temper, he would tell Maya that Riley was his choice and Zay would never forgive him. Riley stepped back to give Maya the opportunity figure out her feelings and be happy. He wanted to be the kind of friend who would do the same for Zay.

Without responding to Maya, he set off in the direction of the lighthouse, determined to make Riley listen to him.

"Huckleberry?"

Lucas didn't respond, but he did pick up his pace.

"Ranger Rick?" she asked again, walking a little faster.

Lucas full out started sprinting, and Maya's little legs couldn't keep up.

"Lucas!" she screamed.

* * *

On the climb to the top of the lighthouse, Riley had filled Zay in on her conversation with Lucas, and now they were both sitting on the ground with their backs against the window, facing the ocean.

"So... Lucas keeps trying to kiss you, and that's a bad thing?" Zay was confused.

"He can't have me until he picks me, Zay!" she screeched out, and then mumbled. "If he picks me..."

Zay sighed, knowing he was a part of the reason she was hurting. "Lucas is going to pick you, sweetie."

"You don't know that."

Zay chewed on his lip, debating telling her the truth, or at least, some form of it. If Riley knew that Lucas was keeping quiet for him, she would surely understand. "Riley-"

"Lucas!"

When Riley heard Maya scream, she took off down the steps without thinking. Maya sounded scared, desperate even. Was Lucas hurt?

Running out the door, her question was answered when she ran right into Lucas' strong chest. He reacted immediately, reaching out to catch her before she had the chance to fall back.

Maya came up from behind Lucas, and Zay had just reached the bottom steps. Riley was still in Lucas' arms but jumped back when she noticed her friends.

"Riley, please. Can we just talk? I really need to talk to you."

Riley glanced over his shoulder to look into Maya's eyes. "Lucas, I just don't think right now is a good time."

Riley backed out of his arms, walking past him to link elbows with Maya to head down the path back to the van.

"Damnit, Riley! It's never a good time for us, is it?" Lucas shouted.

Maya paused, waiting to see what Riley wanted to do. Riley subtly shook her head, took a deep breath, and kept walking.

Lucas looked helplessly at Zay, who simply hit him upside the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for? She won't let me talk!"

"Well, maybe if you kept your lips to yourself and actually used them for talking instead of trying to kiss her every two seconds, she would listen!"

Lucas glared at him. "Well, maybe if I could just tell her she is my choice, the only choice, I would be able to do whatever I wanted with my lips! But I am trying to be a good friend to you!"

Zay groaned and put his arm around his friend. "Maybe we should go back to the drawing board because this plan isn't working for anyone."

Lucas nodded. "We need more than a plan. We need a genius plan."

Zay's forlorn expression turned into a wide grin. "Well, good thing we happen to be great friends with not one, but two geniuses."

Up ahead of them on the path, Maya quietly questioned Riley. "Are you okay, Riles? You want to tell me what happened?"

Riley gave her a side glance, chewing her lip. "I want to, but, for the sake of our freshly mended fences, I don't feel like I should."

Maya stopped walked and turned Riley to face her, grabbing both of her forearms. With a quick glance to make sure the boys were still a safe distance behind them, she said, "You should. You always should. I cherish our friendship, Riley. I will always put you and me above everything, even some guy."

Riley nodded, but she wouldn't meet Maya's eyes.

"So tell me. Whatever it is, I can take it. I will be alright."

"Maya, I love you, but Lucas isn't just some guy to me. I can't promise to always put you above him, but I can promise I won't ever put him above you. Can that be enough?"

Maya felt tears sting her eyes as she looked into Riley's earnest face. She brushed Riley's hair behind her ears, stopping to hold both of her cheeks. "Yes, honey. That can be enough. You are always enough for me."

Riley was crying freely now, causing Maya to finally release her own tears. "Peaches, I know what we have to do now. I know what I have to do. Just remember I love you, okay?"

Maya nodded and hugged her tightly. "I love you, too."

Riley started giggling, clumsily wiping Maya's tears off. Maya took her cue and started brushing the tears of Riley's cheeks.

"I leave you two alone for a couple hours, and now you're both sobbing messes! What did you do before I came into your lives?" Smackle called from down the path.

Both girls turned toward the sound to see the van rolling to a stop in the lot.

"We did nothing good!" Maya called, rushing toward their two friends.

"Yes, never leave us again!" Riley shouted, pulling Smackle and Farkle both in for a hug.

"Where are the boys?" Farkle asked.

"We killed them!" Maya giggled.

"Buried them in the meadow!" Riley joined in.

Smackle pointed down the trail, where Lucas and Zay were both slowly walking, heads down, hands in their own pockets.

"Ah!" Riley screeched. "Zombies!"

She ran to the van, dramatically flailing her arms.

"Sorry, Smacks," Maya said, jokingly shoving her into Farkle. "Run for your lives! Every woman for themselves!"

Smackle glanced between the girls to the boy and back to Farkle. "I think I liked it better when they were fighting. It was a lot easier to keep up."

Farkle put his arm around her. "No, you don't. Just go along with whatever crazy antics they come up with- that's what I do."

Smackle nodded as the two boys approached them. She mechanically pushed Farkle into them.

"Sorry, my love!" she called over her shoulder, awkwardly racing over to the girls. "I'm just taking your advice."

Zay and Lucas exchanged a raised eyebrow glance.

"What did we miss?" Lucas asked Farkle.

Farkle shook his head, chuckling to himself. "Maya and Riley are officially back on, and, I'm happy to say, they have accepted Smackle as one of their own."

Lucas clapped him on the shoulder. "That's great!"

Farkle nodded. "All three women that I love are best friends. My life is perfect."

Zay's eyes grew wide. "Oh, no."

"What?" Lucas asked.

"You know how Maya and Riley can be... Well, now there's three of them."

"Oh, no," Farkle said. "And I just told her to go along with all their crazy schemes!"

"Farkle!"

All three boys turned when they heard squealing and high-pitched giggles coming from the backseat of the van. In turn, they all exchanged terrified glances.

"Farkle," Lucas said, sounding scared. "I can't handle three of them."

Maya popped her head out of the van. "Are you guys coming or what?"

Behind her, Riley and Smackle had turned up the radio and were singing loudly and off key.

Zay, sounding very serious, as he crept slowly towards the van, said to Farkle, "What have you done?"

Farkle shook his head and pulled a reluctant Lucas into the van. Lucas shook his head frantically as the girls started screaming lyrics in his ears.

"I'm falling, so I'm taking my time on my riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide..."

* * *

 **AN: Riley has a plan... Fair warning, you probably won't like Riley's plan. But, Zay and Lucas are going to go to their intellectual superiors for a better plan. Also, I love Smilaya. I want more Smilaya in my life, so it will be in my fanfiction! Also, I'm a Joshaya shipper, but Zaya has been sneaking into my heart, mainly because I love Zay so, so much. Where is everyone else at in this? Zaya vs. Joshaya? (Do NOT say Lucaya. I respect you if you ship them, but in my world they aren't an option! LOL!)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Another chapter! Woot! I hope you don't hate on Riley too hard. During this time period, she was a bit insane. I wanted to strangle her during Texas, so I'm kind of trying to get you to want to strangle her now. Lucas is slowly but surely getting to where I want him to be, and Zaya is on the rise. My sweet, stubborn, Riley just doesn't want to listen to me!**

 **I'm hoping to update again this weekend since I don't have too much going on. We'll see. Thanks as always for reviews, faves, and follows!**

* * *

 **Tuesday, July 1st 8:30 p.m.**

Riley had successfully avoided Lucas for the rest of the day by keeping herself surrounded by Smackle and Maya. After a few hours, Lucas finally stopped trying to pull her to the side, stopped trying to sit next to her. As a matter of fact, he had stopped talking to her altogether.

Despite the pang in her heart, she knew it was for the best. She needed to re-establish some distance if she was going to do what she needed to do. She needed to have a clear head in this situation. She had thought long and hard about where they were all headed, and right now she really felt like she only had one option.

Maya and Smackle seemed to sense her desire for female companionship. Smackle even suggested ditching the boys tomorrow to go shopping at the outlet mall. Lucas was quick to offer to come along, but Smackle insisted "girl time" was necessary. Riley could have kissed her she was so excited her new best friend seemed to be able to read her.

Maya stayed glued to her side for the most part, too. If Riley didn't know better, it seemed like she was avoiding Zay just as much as she was dodging Lucas. Every time Zay spoke to her, Maya only used one or two word answers.

Grace grilled dinner for them, and they all headed down to the beach to watch the sunset. They all stood in line Riley on one end and Lucas on the other, staring at the breathtaking sight. When Lucas met her eyes over the heads of their friends, Riley's chest started to hurt, so she quickly looked away.

When she looked back, Lucas was engrossed in a conversation with Zay. Shortly after that, the two boys went a ways down the beach to play catch with a football that Zay seemed to produce out of thin air.

Riley appreciated the reprieve. The four remaining friends chased waves, collected seashells, and looked for ocean life. Smackle was quick to point out starfish and crustaceans to her new best friends, and Maya quickly snapped pictures of anything and everything she found interesting. Riley was happy to see the two of them getting along so well. She didn't want Maya to feel left out because she was getting closer to Smackle.

Riley and Farkle cemented their renewed friendship by taking a walk down the beach in the opposite direction of the boys.

"Riley, I promise I'm not trying to intrude in your life, but don't you think this situation is getting out of hand?" Farkle questioned his friend carefully.

Riley looked down, squeezing the wet sand between her toes. "I think I know how to fix it."

Farkle squinted at her in confusion. "How?"

"I'm done."

Farkle stopped her, grabbing her forearm to turn her to face him. "Done how?"

Riley shook her head. "I want a guy who knows what he wants, who will pick me, who will choose me. All the time. Every time. I want a guy who reassures me when it comes to my insecurities, not someone who feeds into them."

"Lucas didn't mean to. Riley, he was trying-"

Riley nodded, rubbing her eyes, as she interrupted, "I know, I know. We didn't want anyone to get hurt. I lied. Blah, blah, blah. We've gone around this many times."

She let out a long, tired sigh. "If he cared about me the way I care about him, he couldn't stand for us to be hanging in the balance like this. He would feel like he was dying. There would be no question in his mind if he felt what I'm feeling."

Farkle stared at Riley, and for the first time, he saw how completely exhausted she was. He pulled her in for a hug. "Do whatever you need to do, but I think you're wrong about Lucas. It's not like you to give up on people."

Riley nodded into his shoulder. "I don't want to, but this thing with him has cost me so much already. I lost you and Maya, and for what? To be his second choice?"

He pulled back so she was forced to look him in the eyes. "You could _never_ lose me. Or Maya. And you are no one's second choice. So, how do you go about being done?"

Riley shrugged. "I'll break up with him, I guess. Then Maya can break up with him. We'll be even, and we can all move on with our lives."

She picked up a rock and threw it into the ocean.

"Didn't you guys try to be friends once before? Didn't you realize that wouldn't work?"

Riley was quiet for a long moment, and she turned to start walking back towards the group. "That's the thing. Being together isn't working. Being friends doesn't work. So.."

Riley sighed as tears gathered in her eyes. "After this week, I never want to see him again."

Farkle chased after her. "What? Riley, that's crazy."

Riley shook her head. "I just have to avoid him for the rest of the summer. Lots of friends drift apart in high school."

"What about all of us? The six of us are a family, Riley! You can't just cast one of us out!"

"I'm not. Do what you have to do, Farkle. You can see me as much as you want, and you can see Lucas as much as you want. Just not together, not at the same time. It's too hard, Farkle."

They walked for a little while longer until they were almost back with the girls. "When are you going to tell him?"

Riley shrugged. "This weekend. I just want to enjoy this for a little while longer. Please, don't tell anyone, Farkle."

"Okay, kiddos! Me, Riley, and Maya versus Farkle, Smackle, and Lucas!" Zay shouted, tossing the football at Maya, who caught it with ease.

Farkle looked like he wanted to say something, but he just shrugged sadly, grabbed Smackle by the hand, and walked over to Lucas.

Riley rushed over to turn on the outside lights Stuart had installed by the house, and the game was on. Lucas was by far the most athletic, but Zay held his own. The girls were a lot better than anyone expected them to be, and even Farkle had improved a lot over the years, due to the guys' help.

The game had gotten pretty intense with Riley and Smackle trading off talking smack even though neither one of them was very good at it. It was only supposed to be touch football, but Maya kept tackling Farkle anyway, and he was taking it out on Zay, knocking him to the ground at every turn. Zay was a good sport about it, wanting to appear manly in front of Maya.

Riley, for the most part, was doing whatever she could to not touch Lucas, but every time she got the ball, he was right there waiting for an excuse to grab her.

The timer Farkle set on his phone was down to its final seconds, and Zay's team was up by one touchdown. Lucas had the ball, and the only person standing in his way was Riley. Adrenaline overtook her, and she dove after him, knocking him to the ground and falling in a heap on top of him, inches before the designated end zone.

She was panting and bouncing up and down, straddling his stomach. Lucas couldn't help but let out a groan. His hands came up to grip her thighs, holding her in place.

"We won! We won!" Riley was shrieking until she felt his firm hands on her legs. She looked down at him, his eyes illuminated by the moonlight.

"Congratulations, Riley." He smiled shyly at her. He was unsure how she would react since most of the day she had acted like she didn't want anything to do with him. He had all but given up until Zay suggested the football game. At first he was annoyed that Zay had picked Riley for his team, but once he realized that meant he could touch her and she wouldn't shrink away from him, he wanted to applaud Zay for his decision.

Riley braced herself on his chest, attempting to stand, but he tightened his hold. She looked helplessly at her friends, but they were all wandering back up to the house, completely oblivious to her. She sat frozen on his stomach with her hands still pressed against his chest. His hands had moved up to her hips, squeezing them gently.

"Lucas..."

"We need to talk," he said. "And I'm not going to let you go until you actually listen to me."

* * *

"Maya," Zay whispered, gesturing up to the house. She looked back at Riley, seeing her on top of Lucas lost in his eyes. She nodded and followed her three friends, praying that Riley didn't kill her.

When they got up to the deck, Farkle turned off the outside lights, leaving their two friends in the dark. They all took a seat in the comfortable patio furniture around the fire pit that Frank had lit for them.

"Okay," Smackle said when they were all settled, snuggling into Farkle's side underneath a blanket. "What the heck did we miss?"

Zay and Maya were on the opposite loveseat, sharing a blanket as well. He had his arm along the back of the seat, so Maya leaned forward, trying to create some distance without seeming rude. She didn't want anyone to realize that she might be looking at Zay differently, but she also didn't want Zay to think she was mad at him or something.

Maya shook her head. "Something happened between the two of them, and she told me she didn't want to tell me... Come to think of it, she never did tell me what happened. We both did some hugging and crying, and I feel like the two of us are on track, but she never told me what happened. Why didn't she tell me?"

Zay shrugged, and Farkle immediately picked up on his discomfort. "What do you know, Babineaux?"

Zay glanced at Maya, wanting to see her reaction to what he was about to say. "Lucas tried to kiss Riley."

Maya blinked a couple times but her face remained impassive. To say she didn't feel a twinge of hurt would be a lie. They were supposed to be figuring this thing out together, and even though she didn't think she really wanted Lucas, it hurt that he didn't want her. It hurt that he would try to go behind her back, that he probably wasn't even thinking of her or her feelings at all. Even if he didn't care about her romantically, she liked to think they were at least friends.

Seeing no visible acknowledgment from Maya, he continued, "I guess it's not the first time they almost- Riley is worried that the reason he's trying so hard to kiss her is because he's already kissed you. With this whole, dumb, evening up thing, she is questioning everything he says and does... Mostly because this evening up thing is so dumb."

Maya turned her body to face his and before she had time to stop herself, she reached out and grabbed the top of Zay's hand. "Lucas and I have never kissed."

Zay's heart stopped, staring at her hand on top of his. "I know, darling, and I think Riley knows that, too. She just doesn't want to hurt you, and she also doesn't want to see the two of you kissing, which is what she thinks will happen if they kiss. Because you know the whole dumb-"

Maya nodded, rolling her eyes as she moved back over to her side of the loveseat. "We get it you don't like our way of handling this all."

"No one likes it," Farkle stepped in. "I don't want to hurt you, Maya, but as your friend, I think I should tell you that you're setting yourself up to be hurt. I've been watching this whole thing play out longer than anybody else, and I know how it's going to end."

"I do, too," Maya mumbled.

"Do you?" Farkle insisted. "Because we all know that they belong together, and Riley is so tied up in knots about this whole thing that she's about to make a stupid mistake."

"My love," Smackle said. "What is Riley going to do?"

Farkle paused, staring into Smackle's eyes for a long moment. "I can't tell you. Please don't be made, Iz, but I promised Riley I wouldn't say anything. I probably already said too much."

She agreed. "I respect your promise, and I won't push, sweetheart. Maybe Lucas is fixing things right now."

They all glanced over towards the beach and simultaneously burst out laughing. "Who am I kidding? He is huckleberrying it up as we speak!"

Maya nodded. "I tried to back out, and Riley won't let me."

They all turned to look as Riley rushed up the steps, Lucas close behind. Neither seemed happy or sad, so the friends just awkwardly stared at them in silence until Riley clapped her hands together.

"I'm going to go make some popcorn and grab my speaker. We can look out at the stars together for a bit before bed."

With that, she skipped off inside before anyone could respond. Lucas turned to his friends and threw his hands up. "She's crazy!"

Smackle stood up and took a seat next to him. Quietly she murmured, "Let's meet in our operations room later tonight. Maybe Farkle can give us some insight now that he is in on our plan."

No one noticed that Maya's eyebrows quirked with interest when she overheard the quiet conversation.

* * *

 **Okay... What did you think? Riley is going to cut Lucas out completely?! Coming soon, we'll find out what the heck happened on the beach and Zaya is going to have a moment. #TeamRucas has gained a new member, Farkle, who knows Riley's plan, so he's not going to be messing around. I loved him calling Maya out. They are all starting to hit their breaking points. Riley is losing hope, Lucas is stepping up, and Farkle is losing his patience. And it's only Tuesday!**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: I am ridiculously proud of this chapter. There's a scene in here that I typed up while watching a Corpanga scene from BMW that I intentionally tried to mirror. Hopefully, the parallels make sense, and you'll understand what Riley has really been thinking and feeling all along. I was going to wait to post, but I'm so excited to get this chapter out and where this story is going, I couldn't wait.**

 **Hopefully, you'll enjoy it. Thanks for the reviews, faves, and follows, and thanks for coming on this ride with me!**

* * *

 **Tuesday, July 1st 10:00 p.m.**

Riley looked longingly at her friends, wishing more than anything she could be going up to the house with him. She gazed back down at him, wondering how it always seemed like they ended up in this position with her straddling him.

"Can you at least let go of me so we can sit?"

Lucas nodded hesitantly. "As long as you promise not to run off or-"

She opened her mouth to speak, but he quickly pressed a finger to her lips. "If you promise not to run off or interrupt me, I'll let you go."

His finger still on her lips forced her to nod, trying her best to look earnest. He released her, sitting up so they were shoulder to shoulder with their legs folded in front of them.

"Okay," he said, wiping his hands on his jeans. "First off, I want to say I'm sorry."

Riley tried to speak again, but Lucas shut her down. "Tsk, tsk, Riley! I'm going to talk, and you're going to listen, okay?"

Rolling her eyes, she nodded once more, gesturing for him to continue.

"Good, good. Where was I?" He scratched his head, trying to remember everything he wanted to say.

"I shouldn't have tried to kiss you like that. I know that I'm putting you on the spot and making our uncomfortable situation even more awkward, but, Riley, you have to understand."

He grabbed her hand, pulling her closer to him. "I have wanted to kiss you hundreds of times. From the first time, I saw you... And the one kiss we shared wasn't enough. After Texas, I thought I would never get the opportunity to kiss you again, and I thought back to all the times I had wanted to but was too scared."

"That first night in the library was the first time I had ever really, truly wanted to kiss anyone. I had never felt a connection with someone the way I did with you. When we were dancing at the school dance in seventh grade, during the play when Farkle stole my moment, when we rode the horse together after I got elected president... For the one day we were boyfriend/girlfriend, and in Texas when I was lying flat on my back after I fell off the bull. You leaped over fence and suddenly the sky was filled with your face. Riley, if I could have moved, I would have kissed you that instant and never let you go... And so many moments in between."

They both were millimeters apart, but Lucas forced himself to pull back, remembering Zay's words from earlier. He couldn't kiss her until things were settled.

"I wanted to kiss you so badly in Texas, and you broke my heart. When Farkle told us all you still had feelings for me, for the first time in a long time I felt hope that we would get to have a real kiss, a real relationship, but I looked over at Maya and I knew you would never be with me if it would cause her any pain."

"I understand why you did what you did, and I know you think Maya and I have this mysterious connection, but Riley, we don't. Believe me, I have searched my soul to figure out how I feel about Maya because I know you wanted me to."

Riley couldn't help herself. "Lucas, you can't deny that you feel something for Maya. I know it. You almost kissed her!"

"One time!" Lucas shouted, standing up. "I almost kissed her one time 9 months ago, and no one has ever let me forget it! I have been actively trying to kiss you for this whole trip, doesn't that tell you something, Riley?"

Riley stood up. "Yes, it tells me that you need to try harder with Maya."

Lucas was so flabbergasted his mouth open and closed a couple times with no words coming out. When he finally regained his composure, the first thing he said was, "Are you insane?"

"You have to even us up! You just said all these nice things to me, so you need to go tell Maya all the times you felt that way with her."

Riley sounded so nonchalant about the whole thing it scared Lucas. He was used to her passion and zest for life, but with this, she was so matter-of-fact, Lucas wondered if he had already lost her. Lucas grabbed both of Riley's hands, forcing her to face him. "But, Riley, I have _never_ felt that way with her."

"Well, figure out a way to feel that way now!" Riley shouted desperately without thinking. Now that she had firmly shut it out, She didn't want to let the hope back inside her. "Tell her about how much you love her art or explain to her why you went to Mayaville. I'm sure you can come up with something."

She rubbed his back, sympathetically. Lucas swallowed hard, still in shock.

"Are you honestly trying to tell me what to say to Maya right now?"

Riley shrugged. "I'm just trying to be diplomatic."

"Diplo- Riley, I'm trying to tell you how much you mean to me."

Riley nodded, giving him a quick hug. "And you mean a lot to me, too, Lucas."

She turned him around to face the house, giving him a pat on the butt for encouragement. "Now go! Tell Maya how much she means to you."

When he didn't respond, she gave him a friendly smile and rushed off ahead of him, trying to calm her wildly beating heart. She was proud of her performance. Lucas had no idea that it was killing her to not react to his beautiful words. He had no idea that she would die if he said anything like that to Maya.

When they got up to her friends, she made an excuse to go inside so she could have a moment alone with her thoughts. A small part of her had thought he was going to say he was picking her, but when he opened with apologizing for trying to kiss her, she knew.

He was no closer to making a decision than he was on New Year's when this whole thing started, so she had to extract herself from the situation. All the hope for the two of them that she had kept locked in heart since seventh grade was gone, and she felt strangely empty without it.

Riley Matthews wasn't used to life without hope. Putting the bags of popcorn into big bowls, she headed back outside with a smile firmly pasted onto her face. Her plan was just to fake her way through these next couple of days, and then she could spend the rest of the summer in Philly. Maybe by then she could fill the hole in her heart with something else.

She started to walk to the empty loveseat on the other side of the fire pit, but Lucas reached out and grabbed her arm. He lifted up the blanket on his lap, gesturing for her to come sit next to him.

Glancing over at Maya, Riley said, "Have you talked to her yet?"

Lucas shook his head, sighing. Riley stubbornly crossed her arms. "I'm not sitting next to you until you talk to her."

"I'm doing this for you," he said with another sigh. Turning to Maya, he continued with a flat voice, "Maya, I love your art. It's inspiring."

"Uh, thanks, Hopalong," Maya said, giving him a weird look.

Lucas shrugged, turning back to Riley. "There. Sit."

She sat, allowing him to drape the blanket over her lap. He threw his arm over the back of the loveseat, and she looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, Maya," he said, not even looking in her direction. "I went to Mayaville that day because I thought it would be fun."

"Well, obviously," Maya said.

"What's Mayaville?" Zay asked.

But Lucas wasn't listening to their conversation. "There. Now I said something nice. Let's snuggle to keep it even."

He grinned as he wrapped his arm around Riley, rubbing up and down on her shoulder to keep her warm. Riley couldn't help the grin that formed on her face. He really was too cute sometimes.

She stared into the fire, letting the warmth take over her body. Moments like these she could pretend they were all back to normal. Usually she relished in it, but this time, she had to force herself to come back to the present.

She watched Maya and Zay carefully, deciding she needed to have a conversation with the boy and soon. She could see the gleam in his eye when he looked at the blonde, and she didn't want to see him feeling the same hurt she was feeling right now.

When the fire was extinguished, everyone seemed pretty insistent that Riley and Maya go to bed. Riley quickly agreed, but Maya said she wanted to sit a while longer. Zay stayed behind with her. Farkle offered to show Smackle something in his room so that left Lucas and Riley to walk to the guest rooms alone.

Riley froze in her place when Lucas reached down to grab her hand. They had held hands before obviously, but in Riley's mind, this could be the very last time. They both stopped outside her room.

"Lucas, I just want to tell you how sorry I am. I know you care about me, and I know this isn't easy for you."

Lucas started to interrupt, but Riley pressed a finger to his lips this time. "My turn, Lucas."

"I always thought we belonged together. I always wanted to give you everything. I wanted to give Maya everything, too. I wanted to give her the opportunity to explore her feelings... But the fact that you needed to explore your feelings for her... You didn't have to date her."

"You told me to!"

"And you listened."

"I was just trying to make you happy..." Lucas trailed off desperately.

"I just don't know how we can come back from this, Lucas. I have always been sure of my feelings for you, and the fact that you had to date her... I don't know if I can forgive you for that."

With that, she slunk into her room and slammed the door, not giving him a chance to respond. Lucas stared at the door for a minute in surprise before smashing an open palm against it. He was frustrated, and the only thing he could do was hope that his friends had come up with a plan to get him out of this mess.

He stalked down the hall to Mr. Minkus' study, where Farkle and Smackle were already waiting.

* * *

Maya and Zay sat side by side staring at the dying embers in the fire pit.

"What's up, buttercup?" Zay asked, sensing Maya's unrest.

"I'm feeling..." She made a sound of disgust. "Feelings. And I don't like it."

Zay laughed. "What kind of feelings? Maybe I can help."

Maya gave him a sideways glance. "How do you know if you like someone? Like if you care about them as more than a friend?"

Zay shrugged. "You like that person better than you like everyone else."

Maya laughed. "If that were true, Riley and I would be perfect together."

Zay smiled wide. "You won't get any complaints from me if you decide to end your triangle that way."

They both shared a laugh before Zay continued, "I just know when I like a girl, really like her, I get tingles up and down my spine when we touch, and I would do anything to make her smile. When she is hurting, I'm hurting. I find myself doing anything I can to make her happy, even at my own expense."

"Sounds painful," Maya grumbled.

"It is," Zay agreed. "But only if the person you like doesn't like you back. If you're both falling for each other at the same time, I'm sure it's great."

Maya hadn't realized, but during their conversation they wound up so close their knees were touching, his face was getting closer to her.

"Zay, will you do something for me?" Maya asked timidly.

"You know I will."

"Grab my face," she insisted.

"What?" Zay asked in disbelief. He was definitely not expecting her to say that.

She groaned. "Just grab my face."

He put his hands on her cheeks awkwardly, holding her face away from his.

"Not like that!" Maya said, annoyance leaking into her tone.

"Woman! I don't know what you want from me!" Zay ground out, feeling his patience slowly start to snap.

"Just grab my face!"

"I am!" he shouted, his hands still firmly pressed against her cheeks.

"Like this!"

Maya grabbed his face, pulling him so close their noses were almost touching. They both had their hands on each others' cheeks now, and Maya felt a surge deep down inside her, different from anything she ever felt before.

Zay licked his lips, rapidly scanning between her eyes and mouth. Maya bit her bottom lip, trying to control the urge to breach the gap and kiss him. Seeing her lips swell under the pressure of her teeth, Zay let out a guttural moan.

Maya's heart skipped a beat, and she felt tingles up and down her spine and all over her body. Her eyes widened.

"I gotta go!" She shouted so fast her words ran together. She abruptly let go of his cheeks and raced inside the house.

"Maya!" he called after her in confusion but she didn't answer. Torn about what to do, he decided to go find his friends, hoping Farkle and Smackle could give him some advice.

So wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't notice that the blonde had doubled back and was creeping behind him, silently following him down the hallway.

* * *

 **I feel like I held my breath during this whole chapter! Based on what's happened on the show, I'm firmly in camp Joshaya, but I don't find it believable to put them together until Maya's older, but Zaya stories I've read and the way I've written them, man, I can't help but want to see them together! Did you like the Zaya moments?**

 **And my poor, sweet, hurt, Riley... the scene I was trying to mirror was from season 5 episode 16, Torn Between Two Lovers. If you haven't seen it, type Cory and Topanga break up on youtube and it will come up. If you haven't seen it, I recommend watching BMW because it's fabulous.**

 **Are we still annoyed with Riley? Or are people seeing her side of things? She feels like she cares about Lucas more than he cares about her. Even if he chose her right now, it might not be enough to make things right, just like what happened with Corpanga, which is how I thought Ski Lodge Part 2 was going to end.**

 **Love it? Hate it? Hate me? I don't normally beg for feedback, but this chapter is a turning point in the story and I'm curious to see what people think. See you soon!**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: We're moving right along! I didn't want to leave you guys hanging after last chapter, so I tried really hard to get this one out to you as soon as possible!**

 **I had a guest reviewer ask if I would write more Zaya fiction. Right now, this story is my sole focus. I'm going to crank this baby out, then I plan on doing a couple one shots before a start another multi-chapter fic. One is a Joshaya companion piece to Wiping the Slate Clean, another is a Death of the Triangle, and lastly by popular demand I'm going to continue my story Boy Meets Sassy Haltertop with another one shot.**

 **After that, who knows? I won't commit to a story that focuses solely on Zaya because Rucas is my baby and my inspiration, but it's entirely possible.**

 **However, this fic still has a ways to go and there will be a lot more Zaya. Honestly though, my plan for what I'm going to do and what will actually get done are two different things. As new episodes come out, I might get new inspiration. (Has everyone watched Terror 3? I could totally do a whole series set in that world!)**

 **Anywho, here's the next chapter!**

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 2nd 12:45 a.m.**

Smackle and Farkle were already waiting in the office when Lucas came in. Farkle was studying the dry erase board as Smackle made her alterations.

She checked off numbers 3, 4, and 5, leaving only 1.) Riley and Lucas and 2.) Zay and Maya left to do. She took a step back, admiring her work before she added a couple more hearts to each couple's names and erasing the question mark next to Zay and Maya.

Turning to Farkle, she said, "After observing our friends today, I feel confident that it's only a matter of time before we are all on socially unacceptable triple dates together."

Farkle nodded, rubbing his chin in thought. "Why is your name on here, dear?"

"She said if she figured out our lives she wanted a party or a pie," Lucas responded as he closed the door softly.

Smackle blushed before mumbling, "I figured our heated physical exchange and declaration of feelings in the woods was better than any pie the boys could make for me."

Farkle pulled her into a hug. "Definitely superior."

"Where's Zay?" Smackle asked.

"He's still trying to shake Maya. He should be here soon," Lucas said.

He filled them both in on what had transpired between him and Riley, and as he was finishing up, Zay slipped in, no one noticed a sneakered foot sliding between the door jab to keep the door slightly cracked as Maya listened in.

Smackle was nodding in understanding. "I completely empathize with Riley's viewpoint. Even if Farkle rebuked me, I wouldn't be able to turn to another man."

Farkle agreed. "I never thought of it that way. It's about more than your choice, it's about the fact that you're choosing to begin with!"

"What do I do?"

Everyone looked at each other and shrugged.

"Let me think about if for the night, and we'll reconvene in the morning," Farkle said, trying to reassure his friend.

"Okay, well, if you all have no ideas about that mess, maybe we can move on to item number two..." Zay said. "I'm pretty sure Maya and I almost kissed."

"What? She was going to kiss you?" Lucas asked, sounding surprised.

"Careful, Friar, if I didn't know any better I would say you sound jealous," Zay challenged, taking a step toward Lucas.

Lucas held up his hands in surrender. "I'm just wondering what's going on in her head."

Zay shrugged. "Me, too."

Maya threw the door open, making a grand entrance. "If you want to know what's going on in my head, maybe you should ask me."

Her friends refused to make eye contact as they all guiltily looked in any direction besides hers.

"What is this?" She pointed at the dry erase board. "Maya and Zay?"

No one said a word.

"Are all of my friends plotting against me? Do you guys think you can just manipulate me any way you want? Does Riley know about this?"

Lucas' eyes grew big. "No, Riley has no clue."

"So... You guys just figured Riley could have Lucas and I could have Zay and things would be all hunky-dory? Don't we have a say in any of this?"

Zay rushed over to her. "Of course you have a say."

She ignored him and stepped over to Lucas. "If you never had feelings for me, why didn't you just tell me that?"

Lucas tried to grab her hand to pull her away from the group, but she snatched it out of his grasp. "I didn't know how I felt at first. Everything was so muddled, and I was so mad at Riley. I thought we could try."

"Oh!" Maya shrieked, taking on a sugary, sweet, sarcastic tone. "Lucky me! You couldn't have the girl you actually wanted so you deigned me passable enough to try with!"

"Maya-" Farkle tried to interrupt to diffuse the situation, but she ignored him and pressed on.

"I almost lost my best friend over you! We have all been tearing ourselves to pieces, and you have known all along who you wanted!"

"Not all along," he grumbled under his breath.

"When then, Lucas? When did you know for sure you wanted Riley and not me?" Maya was shaking with hurt and anger. She felt humiliated. All of her friends knew she was making a mistake, and they were all actively plotting against her. She never put herself out there with someone before, and the one time she does, she failed so epically and so publicly.

"Maya, that's not-" Smackle attempted to put a hand on her shoulder, but Maya shrugged it off.

"When, Lucas?"

"Right after New Year's," he said quietly, trying to soften the blow. "I didn't want to hurt you, Maya, and I just kept hoping things would sort themselves out."

"So you signed up your old pal Zay to take me off your hands?" she questioned, her voice cracking as she tried to reign in her emotions. Finally, turning to Zay, his heart broke, seeing her watery eyes. "And you just jumped at the chance! Were you just bored? You wanted my best friend, too, and couldn't have her so you decided to give me a 'try' as well?"

Zay frantically shook his head. "No! Maya, that's not what happened at all!"

"God, I'm such an idiot! I thought..." she trailed off, unwilling to reveal her burgeoning feelings for the boy in question. She shook her head. "Was any of it real, Zay? We almost... Is this just like what happened between me and _him?"_

Zay tried to take a step closer to her, but she took a step back, maintaining her distance. "It was very real. All of it. God, Maya, I-"

She shook her head. "I don't want to hear it! All of you have known all along that Lucas didn't want me, and instead of telling me, telling Riley, and putting us out of our misery, you made a fucking list? Farkle?"

Smackle shook her head. "Farkle just found out about it today. He didn't do anything. Hate me if you want to, Maya, but don't blame him."

Maya stared Lucas down, not acknowledging Smackle. "You are _not_ good enough for her."

Lucas nodded, solemnly. "I know, but I'm trying to be, that has to count for something, right?"

Giving a snort of disgust, she turned to walk out the door.

"Maya! Wait! Please, let me explain!" Zay shouted fiercely.

Maya shook her head. "I need some space!"

She was halfway out the door before she turned toward the two geniuses. "Smackle, you might not know this, but when your best girlfriend storms off in a huff, you storm off with her!"

Smackle's eyes lit up. "You want me to-"

"Yes, of course!" Maya replied, sounding exasperated. "Now we're storming off! Come on!"

She gave Farkle a quick hug, and then she exaggeratedly stomped behind Maya, slamming the door behind her.

"So...that went well..." Zay commented when the silence got to be too much for him. Farkle smacked him upside the head for his trouble.

"What do we do now?" Lucas asked.

"Hide," Zay stated, matter-of-factly.

"Hide?" Farkle questioned.

"When Peaches tells Honey about all this, she'll be out for blood."

Lucas collapsed on the leather couch on the side of the room, covering his face with his hands. "I'm so dead. I promised them no one would get hurt, that I could protect them, and I've ruined everything."

Zay plopped down beside him. "Hey, for once, you aren't the only one who ruined everything. I'm in quite the pickle as well."

"Come on, fellas. Let's go up to my room and try to get some sleep," Farkle said, pulling them both up. "I'm sure it will all be better in the morning."

"You really think so," Zay asked hopefully as they made their way down the hall.

"No, but I thought it would be better to say that than to tell you guys that you're going to be shaken down by a skinny little thing that draws purple cats in her spare time."

He put a comforting arm around both of them and led them up the stairs.

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 2nd 7:10 a.m.**

For the first time all summer, Maya set an alarm. She shook Smackle awake, who in true best friend form, slept next to her all night, stroking her hair and wiping away her tears.

When they got back to their hallway, Maya found Riley sleeping soundly, and she didn't have the heart to wake her, so she set an alarm. She and Smackle made up a plan of their own. She was going to get to Riley first, and they were going to get the hell out of these house before the boys even realized they're awake. Then when they were safely aware from the boys, they both would spill everything they knew.

They had already planned on going shopping, but after last night, retail therapy was even more of a necessity followed by some spa treatment. They would all look fabulous, feel fabulous, and figure out what their next steps would be. Together.

"Come on, Smacks. We need to get Riles and get out of here."

Smackle got up without a word, hurriedly grabbing a pair of shorts and a tank top. She pulled her up in a messy bun, slipped on her flip-flops, and went to collect their other friend.

Maya got dressed in a similar fashion, picking out a pair of strappy sandals and flowy shorts. By the time, she got to Riley's room, she was up and had her hair in two low pigtails, wearing a simple cotton dress and a pair of slip-on Keds.

"I'm really enjoying this mysterious early morning rushing around thing we're doing. Are we going to rob a bank, Peaches?" Riley asked excitedly.

Maya hugged her. "Honey, let's get out of here. We'll fill you in on everything once we get in the car."

Frank was waiting for them by the van with homemade donuts and smoothies.

"Young Minkus told me to be expecting you," he said, giving Maya a gentle smile. "He said you had a rough night, Ms. Hart. I already put the radio on your favorite station, but if you want to sit up front and change it, you can."

Maya wrapped the large man in a hug. "Thanks, Frankie, but I have to sit in the back and fill Riles in."

He nodded shyly, not used to talking so much or receiving such a warm response.

Riley watched the exchange carefully, curiously. She obviously missed something important last night, something the boys had done. She wished she would have stayed up later, but she was already pushing it going to bed after midnight.

Maybe her conversation with Lucas had prompted him to tell Maya his choice? Maybe Maya had spent the night crying and heartbroken but was ready to talk about it?

Does she know about the conversations she and Lucas had last night?

They all drank their smoothies and ate their donuts in silence, sitting next to each other in the very backseat with Riley in the middle. Frankie had turned the music up a tad to give them some semblance of privacy.

"What the heck happened last night?" Riley finally asked, unable to contain herself any longer.

Maya and Smackle exchanged glances. With a deep sigh, Smackle began, "It all started when Farkle asked me for a favor..."

* * *

 **Well, the girls aren't going to be messed with anymore! Some truths are going to come out, but is it too late? Will Maya and Riley even believe it at this point?**

 **I don't know when I'll be able to update again, but coming up we'll have a much needed girls' day!**


	18. Chapter 18

**I know, I know, I'm the worst! I spoil you with three updates in a row, and then I abandon you! I've been pretty busy, and this chapter was pretty difficult to write because it's in a different style. We jump around a lot and cover most of the day. A bunch of stuff happened in the last couple chapters, so this one just gives the kids a bit of a breather before the next round.**

 **As always, the reviews, faves, and follows are appreciated. Seriously, someone wrote that they look forward to weekends even more because they know that's when I usually update, and it honestly motivated me to put the finishing touches on this chapter. It's by far my least favorite chapter, except for a few cute moments.**

 **Hoping to get more out soon, but we shall see! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 2nd 8:00 a.m.**

"So, let me see if I have everything here..." Riley said after she spent the whole car ride silently listening to her two friends.

They were idly walking down the aisles of the Tanger Outlet mall, trying to decide where to go when the stores opened at 9. Seeing an open coffee cart, they grabbed drinks and took a seat on a bench. Frank stood down the way a little bit, scrolling on his phone.

"Lucas has known for a long time who he wanted but was just waiting around until it magically resolved itself. He got jealous seeing me with Zay, and then he saw Maya with Zay and decided to ask Farkle to help them get together. Farkle asked Smackle to help so he could keep his promise to me."

Smackle nodded. "I told him to just be honest with you!"

Maya put a hand on Smackle's shoulder. "It's okay, Smacks. We aren't mad at you. You were just doing what Farkle asked."

Riley agreed with Maya. "So, you brought Zay into it, figured out he had some sort of feelings for Maya, and decided the most important thing was to fix all of our friendships first."

Smackle nodded again.

Maya cut in. "Zay didn't want Lucas to tell us he picked Riley until he was sure I wanted him and wasn't just settling for him because I couldn't have Lucas."

"Last night, you walked in on a planning session where they were filling in Farkle on the whole thing. It looked really bad, you didn't have all the information, so it all blew up in everyone's face," Riley concluded. "And now we're all here, trying to decide what to do next."

Maya and Smackle nodded one more time. "I wish you would forgive-"

Maya didn't even give Smackle a chance, shaking her head. "Oh, no, Smackle! You're on the girls' team now! We are not ready to even think about forgiving the boys. This is the portion of the day where we hate them and hate them hard. So get on board with that!"

"Okay... Screw them! Screw them all... Well, except for Farkle."

The three girls laughed, throwing their cups in the trash before heading into the first store. They walked from store to store as Maya and Riley tried to wrap their minds around everything that had happened in the last twelve hours.

"I understand they were in a difficult position, but Lucas has known for months! I could understand waiting a few weeks, but months?" Riley asked in American Eagle.

"Why didn't Zay ever say anything? If he liked me that much, why didn't he step in before? Why now?" Maya asked in H&M.

"And Lucas, he humiliated me! I mean, he couldn't tell us what was going on, but he could tell everybody else? Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is?" Maya brought up at Claire's.

"I know, Peaches, and he promised us no one would get hurt, and our friendships would be above everything else, but the minute he started lying about how he felt, he broke that promise! He hurt my best friend, and now I'm just supposed to be okay with that?"

In Charlotte Russe, Riley decided they were both cowards. In Aeropostale, Maya claimed they were idiots. Smackle nodded and agreed with everything because anytime she tried to reason with the girls or defend the guys she was firmly told not yet. So Smackle held in every good thought, waiting for the time when she could release them, making up a list in her mind.

Because after spending the past few days watching Zay and Lucas, she knew Riley and Maya needed to forgive them, needed to give them a chance.

As Frank's arms got fuller, Maya's rage dwindled, but Riley's became a whole other animal. Pretty soon she was ranting and raving about everything, _everything_ , Lucas had ever done to her.

While trying on shoes in Macy's, she talked about Missy. In PacSun, they talked about the semiformal and all things Charlie. She cried about the yearbook in a dressing room at Francesca's. They all cried in Victoria's Secret about Texas and New Year's. She bought a killer dress at Barneys as she talked about not being able to be just friends.

Walking back to the car with Frank stumbling close behind drowning with bags, she revealed her secret plan. "I just don't think I want to see him anymore. I don't think I can forgive him for the scars he put on my heart."

"Riles, no. You have to forgive him. He didn't mean to. He thought he was doing the right thing."

"That's my point exactly, Peaches! If he can hurt me this bad without meaning to, what happens when we fall apart? I care about him too much."

The girls were silent at that.

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 2nd 2:00 p.m.**

When the boys woke up, the girls were already gone. Lucas wasn't surprised really. Riley always was a runner. They stayed up pretty late, trying to decide what to do next. Lucas knew he owed both girls an apology, but honestly, he was more concerned with Riley.

He was hoping they could figure out a way to move forward, but at this point, he wasn't even sure if being with him was what she wanted anymore.

He felt bad for Zay, too. Zay had tried to text Riley when they got up because while he cared about Maya, Riley had become one of his best friends over the course of the summer. But Riley didn't answer. None of the girls answered them, even Smackle had only sent one text to Farkle telling him not to worry.

So when the van came barreling down the driveway in the late afternoon, all three boys rushed up from their blanket on the beach to meet it. Lucas could barely contain his disappointment when the only person to come out was Frank.

Frank sent him and Zay dirty looks before unpacking several shopping bags from various stores. When Farkle realized he was alone, he asked, "Where are the girls?"

Frank cleared his throat and said, "They are in the ice cream and romantic comedy portion of their day. I left them at the movie theater."

"Do you need some help with those bags?" Lucas asked, trying to be kind.

"No, now if you'll excuse me," Frank said, pushing past the boys, his arms laden with bags. "I can't stand to look at either one of you at the moment."

When he reached the front door at the top of the steps, he turned to face the boys with watery eyes. "Those girls are gems! Precious gems who should be loved and appreciated!"

With that, he rushed inside before anyone had the opportunity to respond.

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 2nd 4:30 p.m.**

The shopping was done. The movie was over. The ice cream had all been eaten. Riley's toes were now a sparkly purple, and her head had been luxuriously massaged as the stylist washed it. The girls were sitting in a row in salon chairs, each of them in the process of getting their hair trimmed and styled.

Riley and Maya had their eyes closed, sighing as they reached the height of relaxation.

"Okay, Smacks, go," Maya said, gesturing at her with her hand not even opening her eyes.

"What?" Smackle asked in surprise.

Riley turned to look at her, giving her a gentle, trademark Riley smile. "Tell us all the wonderful things you've been holding in about the boys all day. We have done all the things we need to do. We have ranted, we've raved, we've laughed, we've cried. We spent so much money we are all going to have to spend the rest of the summer chained to Topanga's to pay for it all. Now we're feeling good, looking good, and we're ready to hear the positives now."

Smackle blinked a couple times, running her reasons through her head. She knew this moment would come eventually, she just didn't realize it would come so unexpectedly. She had a whole speech planned out, but looking at the two girls, it didn't seem sufficient enough.

"I can't."

Maya's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why not?"

"I think the boys should do their own fighting for once. I just want to say that I think you both should hear them out and come to your own conclusions. I know you're both hurt and confused, but trust me, nothing is as bad as it seems. They both really care about you both, and the meetings were actually very innocent."

Riley nodded. "I'm sure they were. I know you, and I know our friends. None of you have a malicious bone in your bodies."

Maya shook out her hair, admiring the added shine and body that only comes from a visit to a salon.

"You know what I forgot we needed to do?" Maya asked with a gleam in her eyes.

"What?" Riley asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

"The most important ritual of all when a girl has had her heart broken!" Maya exclaimed. "We go out and show those boys what they're missing!"

Smackle stopped admiring her new curly hairdo to give Maya a cautious look. "What did you have in mind?"

Maya wrapped an arm around each girls' shoulder. "Ladies, we are going out tonight!"

Maya smiled devilishly into the mirror while Smackle gulped apprehensively. "What about the boys?"

"Well, obviously they're coming with us!" Maya exclaimed, triumphantly.

"Peaches..."

"Come on, Riles, make Lucas eat his heart out."

Riley looked at herself in the mirror, her hair in long beach waves, but her face completely devoid of makeup from crying off and on throughout the day. She nodded resolutely.

"I'm in!

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 2nd 7:00 p.m.**

The girls jumped out of the van, racing past the boys, giggling.

"Maya, can we-" Zay began before getting cut off.

"No time right now, kiddos! Go get changed, we're going dancing tonight!" Maya shouted over her shoulder as she pulled both girls up the steps.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Luke asked, trying to get Riley's attention.

Smackle shrugged. "It's a process, Friar. Deal with it!"

The three boys exchanged nervous glances.

"What do you guys think?" Zay asked.

"I think you two aren't in the position to disagree. If the girls want to go out, we're going out!" Farkle replied, heading up the stairs behind the girls.

Lucas ran a hand over his face, trying to keep his emotions under control. "At least they're willing to be in the same room as us."

He put an arm over Zay's shoulder and led him into the house. When they passed the bathroom, music was blaring so loud, they could barely hear the girls shouts and giggles.

"It doesn't seem like they're too upset about the whole thing."

"Maybe they aren't, Luke. Maybe we have always needed them way more than they need us."

Lucas nodded sadly in agreement.

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 2nd 8:30 p.m.**

Lucas sat up straight when he noticed the girls walking down the stairs to meet them at the patio. His smile quickly turned into a frown when he noticed that the brunette wasn't with them.

"Where's Riley?" he asked.

"Talking to her parents. Her father was pretty mad because she had been ducking their calls all week," Smackle said matter-of-factly.

"Uh, Maya, do you think we could talk?" Zay asked shyly as he approached the blonde.

Maya shook her head. "Not tonight, Sparky. I need a night away from this drama to clear my head."

Zay nodded, disappointment clouding his features. Maya grabbed his arm. "But we will talk tomorrow, I promise."

Zay melted at the sincerity of her tone, a smile spreading across his face. Lucas couldn't help but feel lighter watching the exchange. If Maya was willing to hear Zay out, surely Riley would give him the same chance.

Farkle and Smackle could barely keep their hands off each other. The girls convinced her to buy a deep maroon off-the-shoulder mini skater dress, along with some strappy heels that made her feel impossibly grown up. The salon had curled, deep conditioned, and added some texture and layers to her hair. With the help of her new best friends, she added a little bit more makeup than usual without looking like a clown.

Farkle was enthralled. "You look gorgeous, my love... Not that you don't always look lovely, but-"

"I know what you mean, Farkle. Thank you. I had fun with the girls today. Did you have fun with the boys?" she asked, pulling him away from the others.

Farkle shook his head. "They pretty much moped all day by the beach. Anytime we heard a car, they jumped up like puppies to chase it down in case it was you guys. I tried to be a supportive friend, but there's only so much whining I can take!"

"I learned a lot about the ritualistic nature of break-ups. I'll be fully prepared for our demise when the time comes."

"You think we're going to break up?"

Smackle didn't make eye contact, playing with their hands. "We're very young, my dear. I just don't know what the future holds. I don't want us to break up, but it's nice to know that if we do, I now know what the proper procedure is."

Farkle leaned in, giving her a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I can only hope we never have to utilize that knowledge."

Lucas felt completely out of place. Farkle and Smackle were involved in some cutesy, cuddly, quiet conversation. Maya wouldn't look at him, and Zay was so desperate for Maya's attention, he just kept hovering over her, making silly jokes and acting like a lunatic.

He couldn't blame him. Maya looked phenomenal in a purple, flute sleeve, lacy, mini dress. Her blonde hair had been styled pin straight, and she wore dramatic eye makeup. Matching kitten toe heels completed the look. Zay hadn't been able to take his eyes off her since she came downstairs.

Lucas started to laugh at his friend's predicament, but his eyes drifted to the doorway and all the air was sucked out of the room. There she was.

His heart stopped.

* * *

 **What do you think? Smilaya are looking good and out for blood! Next up Riley and her parents, Lucas gets jealous, and the girls dance their butts off! There might be a little Zaya coming up, too. See you soon!**


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: Updating on a Tuesday?! My schedule got flip-flopped again so I'm back on nights. I shouldn't be able to update on Friday nights anymore, but most updates will still be done on the weekends.**  
 **I'm not overly thrilled with this chapter, but I wanted Riley to have some closure with her parents. Thanks for the reviews, follows, and faves. Sticking with me for 19 chapters means a lot as this is by far the longest fic I have ever written.**

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 2nd 8:00 p.m.**

Riley was putting on the finishing touches when her phone rang. She looked down at the caller, rolling her eyes before pressing the ignore button.

Before she had the chance to even set it down, her text notification dinged multiple times, followed by a video chat request. Groaning she opened up the app.

"Hi, mom. Hi, daddy!" she said when she saw both of her parents' faces squished together on her screen.

"Don't you hi us, young lady!" Cory screeched. "You were supposed to call us every day! You haven't called one time!"

"I've texted! I was busy."

"Riley, sweetie, we all know you have been upset with us for weeks now. What I can't understand is why," Topanga said, leaning forward until all Riley could see is her forehead.

"Lean back, mom. I can't see you."

Soon both of her parents' faces filled her screen again. "I'm not upset with you...I'm just," She sighed deeply. "I'm frustrated."

Cory looked confused. "Why would you be frustrated with us? What have we done?"

Riley squirmed uncomfortably, trying to figure out how to say what she needed to. She remembered the conversation she had in the van with Lucas and knew she needed to get everything off her chest. "I love that Maya has become my sister, but it just feels like... Sometimes she is your daughter, too."

Topanga nodded, still not understanding. "Maya is like a daughter to us. We have watched her grow up."

"Right, but sometimes it feels like she's...your actual daughter."

"I don't understand, Riley," Cory replied. "You have always wanted us to make Maya a part of our family."

"I do!" Riley jumped in eagerly. "I really, really, do! But...I guess lately, I've felt...replaced?"

Riley looked away as tears gathered in her eyes.

"Oh, sweetie..." Topanga said, her own eyes clouding over in tears. "You could never, ever be replaced, and most certainly not by Maya. You are irreplaceable."

Cory cut in, wrapping an arm around his wife. "Maya is special to us because she reminds us so much of Shawn when he was younger. We have both taken an interest to make sure she turns out the right way, but Riley, she isn't our daughter. You are our one and only daughter, and we never intended on hurting you or making you feel left out."

Riley was full on crying now. "I know you didn't mean to, but you did."

Topanga turned to her husband. "I hate that we're having this conversation over the phone like this."

Turning back to Riley, she continued, "We love Maya, but nothing compares to the love we feel for you and Auggie. I promise, Riley, we will make sure you feel that love from now on."

Riley nodded, wiping away her tears, taking extra care not to mess up her makeup. "I know you love me. This triangle has just made a mess of everything. I feel like Maya and I are on opposite sides and everyone has to choose. I'm so glad it's over."

Both her parents perked up at that. "It's over? Lucas decided? Who did he pick?" They questioned at the same time.

Riley sighed, looking away from her phone. "He didn't. Well, I guess he did. It doesn't matter. I'm deciding. I pick me."

"Good for you, honey," her mom cheered. "If he doesn't know who he wants, he obviously doesn't want either one of you enough."

"I am happy about this because it means you aren't dating anyone, Riley," Cory started, picking up his phone so he was the only person on the screen. "But just because Lucas didn't pick you right away doesn't mean he doesn't care a great deal about you. Feelings can be really confusing sometimes. Before you decide to write Lucas off completely, maybe you should try to see things from his point of view."

Topanga yanked the phone away from her husband. "Sometimes you might need space before you can even think about looking at another person's perspective, and that's okay, too."

"Well, sometimes that person is just doing what you told them to do and shouldn't be blamed for listening!" Cory shouted in the background, causing Topanga to roll her eyes.

"This isn't about us, dear!" Topanga called back to him, the screen shaking as she walked away from her husband. "Riley, just remember, we love you and will support any decision you make. But if you need to talk through this all, I'm here for you and only you, okay?"

Riley nodded. "Thanks, mom. Right now, though, I need to finish getting ready. We're going to that teen dance club down on the boardwalk."

They finished their conversation, exchanging a few pleasantries about how the week had been going for each of them. With a promise to call soon, Riley hung up to put the finishing touches on her eyes.

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 2nd 8:45 p.m.**

When Riley met her friends downstairs, they all seemed to be in their own world. Well, everyone besides Lucas. He locked eyes on her immediately, scanning over every inch of her body.

Her hair was down and wavy, her makeup elegant. She wore a black halter mini dress with a tight bodice that showed off her budding curves. The straps crisscrossed around her neck and down her back, leaving half her back exposed. Her lace-up heels finished off the mature look and made her long legs look impossibly longer.

When she bought the dress, she knew her father would hate it, but seeing Lucas look at her in shock made up for the fact she would probably never be able to wear it again.

After a moment, Lucas seemed to compose himself and headed in her direction.

"Riley, I-"

"Oh, no, no, no, no, Huckleberry!" Maya said, stepping in between them to grab Riley's elbow. "We are putting this drama on pause!"

She reached over and took Smackle's hand. "My girls and I look fabulous, and tonight all we are going to feel is fabulous. Is that alright with you, chumps?"

The three boys nodded solemnly.

"Good. Frankie! Let's get this show on the road!" Maya shouted as Frank materialized out of thin air.

The ride to the club was rather awkward. Zay and Lucas both attempted to sit next to their girls, but Maya yanked Smackle in the back with them, causing the two boys to sit in the middle seat with their bodies turned backward.

Farkle tried to play moderator, keeping the conversation light, but Lucas' kept his puppy dog eyes trained on Riley the entire time.

Riley, however, was glued to her phone. The girls had taken some selfies, and she was snapchatting some of their classmates.

Lucas clenched his jaw, doing everything he could to not ask who she was snapping in that outfit.

When they got to the club, they all piled out of the car. Frank promised to stay close and insisted they return to the van at midnight. Lucas pulled Riley to the side before they reached the doors of the dark club.

"Riley, do you want to talk? Maya says you don't, but I want to hear from you what you want," Lucas said carefully, sounding like he had rehearsed it. In truth, he had. He thought the entire way to the boardwalk what he would say when he got her alone.

"Lucas," Riley began, running her fingers through her hair as she pulled away from him. "I don't know what I want right now. All I know is I don't want to do this here."

Lucas took a step back, accepting defeat. He nodded. "I respect your feelings, Riley, but I want you to know that I do know what I want. I know who I want and no matter what happens, I'm not going anywhere."

Riley sized him up, staring at him as if trying to judge his sincerity by his body language. Finally, Riley shrugged and gave him a tentative smile. As she started to turn away, Lucas didn't want to leave it at that. He wanted it to be the two of them for just a little while longer.

Grabbing her hand and feeling something stirring inside him as she looked down at their hands in shock, he said, "You have always believed in things so strongly. You believe in Pluto, in my ability to be a good person, in your friends, your family. Well, Riley Matthews, I believe in you. More importantly, I believe in us and I will believe in us strong enough for the both of us if I have to."

He leaned forward, giving her a kiss on the cheek, before running up to catch up to Zay. He resisted the urge to look back at the brunette, hoping he got through to her. Maya passed him on her way back to their friend, giving him a glare, but he ignored her.

He didn't want to blame Maya for the mess they were in, but a small part of him did. She was the one who changed things. He had wanted Riley for so long, he didn't even realize that Maya was a possibility. It never occurred to him to analyze their relationship until he was smacked in the face with her feelings back in Texas. By then, he had believed Riley didn't want anything to do with him romantically.

If Maya had been honest from the beginning, he would have shut it down. He would have told her that Riley was his only choice. He should have told her Riley was his only choice, even if he wasn't her choice, back in Texas. Instead, he made the mistake of giving in to the fear of being alone, of trying to make his friends happy, and now he could lose Riley all over again because of it.

He shook his head as he entered the club. If the girls wanted to put this on pause, he was going to do everything in his power to honor that. Just for one night. He would laugh and dance and make sure everyone had a good time. Tomorrow was another story altogether. He was getting Riley back tomorrow. He was sure of it.

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 2nd 9:00 p.m.**

Walking into the club, Riley was proud of herself because no one seemed to realize how anxious she was. It was easy to feel confident and sexy in a dressing room with your best friends telling you how amazing you looked. Now standing in the light of day, surrounded by the beautiful people of the Hamptons, she felt entirely too self-conscious.

Lucas hadn't taken his eyes off her the entire drive, but after he left her stunned in the alleyway, he hadn't glanced in her direction once. Riley wanted to be like Maya, confident and independent. She didn't seem worried about Lucas or Zay as she grabbed Riley's hand and led her to the dance floor.

Farkle and Smackle found them a booth near the dance floor, so Riley maneuvered her friend to be closer to them. She and Maya had quickly caught the attention of quite a few other teenagers, so she didn't notice when Lucas and Zay took a seat across from the happy couple.

The two girls were in a large circle, dancing with mostly other girls their age, while a group of boys stood around them on the edge of the floor. Occasionally one would come up and dance with one of the other girls, but Riley and Maya stuck together, out of their grasp.

They headed off to the bathroom with a couple of the girls during a particularly lame song. When they got back out to the dance floor, giggling with a fiery redhead who had a few choice words about the dj.

Riley and Maya were intercepted by two nice-looking guys who offered to buy them a soda. Riley started to decline when Maya agreed for both of them. Maya gestured with her eyes to the table, where Lucas was drilling holes in the back of Cam's head.

She followed behind Tom and Cam, mumbling to Maya along the way.

"Maya, I don't want to play games."

"We aren't playing anything, honey. You don't have to the marry the guy. Accept the drink, talk to the nice boys, and enjoy what it feels like to have a simple, fun, flirtation. No declarations of love involved. And if it happens to drive Lucas and Zay insane in the process, well, that's their problem."

Riley accepted the smoothie from Cam with a smile before taking a seat on one of the barstools at the drink counter. Maya sat down next to her, and the boys stood in front of them.

Cam was surprisingly funny, telling stories about their vacation so far. She was so busy laughing at his impression of their jet ski instructor she didn't even notice Lucas approaching the group until he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Do you want to dance with me?" he asked, looking so unbelievably unsure Riley's heart clenched at the sight of him.

* * *

 **AN: I'll admit, I'm frustrated with the kids. I want some romance and some action, especially because we aren't getting any real Rucas love on the show. Trust me, it's coming soon. Riley can only run away for so long.**


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: I lost my internet connection just when I was getting ready to save my final touches on this chapter! I'm so distraught because I was completely satisfied with it! I'm so excited about this chapter so I'll just dive right in! A longer AN at the end because I don't want to give anything away!**

 **Thanks for the support! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 2nd 9:30 p.m.**

"Lucas, I-" Riley began, looking around at the group she was sitting with.

"I didn't realize you had a boyfriend," Cam cut in with a smile on his face. While he was enjoying the pretty brunette's company, they were both here on vacation so he knew they would never have more than a nice conversation, a dance or two, and maybe if he was lucky, he could sneak in a kiss at the end of the night.

"Oh, I, uh-" Riley turned to look at him, but Maya interrupted her.

"She doesn't. Lucas is just a friend we're on vacation with."

Lucas watched the exchange, his fists clenched at his side, doing his best not to lose his temper. He knew he was already on thin ice with the girls and didn't want to do anything to make it worse.

"Well, if you want to dance, Riley, I can dance with you," Cam offered, not wanting to give up his time with Riley just yet.

"Oh, well, thank you, bu-" Riley floundered, trying to figure out a nice way to let him down when Maya once again took over.

"How nice, Cam. She would love to!" Maya said loudly, practically pushing her into Cam.

Before Riley could think, Cam was reaching for her hand, and Lucas looked like he had been punched in the gut. He looked like she felt all those months of the triangle every single time she saw him with Maya. Frozen, hurt, alone, and confused. Lucas turned away, afraid that he might do something he would regret if he had to watch her walk away with another guy.

Riley froze, feeling like she couldn't breathe. Watching Lucas turn on her made her feel like this was the end. Her heart stopped and she knew if she didn't do something soon, she might lose him for good. She pulled her hand out of Cam's grasp with a sense of urgency.

"I appreciate the offer, Cam, but I think I'd like to dance with my friend right now," she said, smiling sweetly to lessen the blow of her rejection.

"No problem. Maybe next time."

Cam didn't seem too broken up about it. He was a pretty easy-going guy, and Riley really did enjoy their conversation. Riley gave him a quick hug as she nodded her head, even though she knew she wasn't going to come find him again. He was nice, but he wasn't Lucas.

When she turned to find Lucas, he was gone.

"Maya!" she shouted. "Where did Lucas go?"

Maya shrugged, rolling her eyes. "If he can't take a little competition..."

"God, Maya!" Riley screeched. "Butt out for once! There is no competition. For me, it's Lucas. It's always been Lucas, and it's always going to _be_ Lucas. I'm not too happy with him right now, and I don't know if I want to be with him, but I'm not going to go be with someone else."

"Riley," Maya began, speaking slowly as if she was talking to a small child,"You have to stand up for yourself. He can't just-"

The whole time they were talking, Riley was looking around frantically for Lucas. She made eye contact with Smackle, who gestured that he had gone outside. Nodding at her friend, she turned back to Maya with fire in her eyes and stamped her foot.

"I am, Maya," she said, yanking her arm out of Maya's grasp. "I'm standing up for me and for Lucas. You have been in between us for months now. Actually, ever since we met you have inserted yourself into our relationship."

"Riley, I-"

"No, Maya," she cut in, breathing heavily as she started to lose control of her emotions. She needed to get everything out before she lost her nerve. "You pushed me into his lap, you pushed me into going out with him, you decided he was my brother. Don't even get me started on this triangle mess."

"Riles-"

"The triangle is over. This isn't your relationship. This isn't your decision!" Riley clenched her fists and stomped her foot. She took a deep breath, calming herself down and starting over in a gentler tone. "I love you. I know you have tried to do the right thing, but I can't keep letting you speak for me. I'm not a little kid anymore. I know who I want to be now. And it's _not_ you. It's me."

Maya nodded with tears in her eyes, trying to hear what Riley was really saying. When Riley first started yelling at her, she was expecting a big fight. Ready to defend herself, she tried to get in a word edgewise, but Riley wouldn't let her. Once she recognized that it was more important for Riley to say what was on her mind than for her to argue, it was easier to listen.

Hearing everything she was trying to say, Maya realized that her best friend had finally grown up. She was being the person Maya always knew she could be. It just never occurred to Maya until that very moment that the person holding Riley back wasn't Riley herself, it was Maya. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed in herself for making her sister feel this way. She also felt so much pride in Riley for actually standing up for herself for once. Her best friend was so good at fighting for everyone else, but she so rarely fought for herself.

"I love you, too. Fly away, baby bird," Maya said, giving her a hug. "I'm so sorry. I was just trying to help."

"I know you were. You're always trying to help," Riley said, keeping Maya in her arms and locking eyes with her, trying to convey all the love and support she felt for her sister. "How about from now on we only help each other when the other person asks for it?"

Maya nodded. "Now go find Ranger Rick before he does something stupid... I mean, if you want to."

Riley smiled at her friend before taking off for the door. She stumbled a bit when she reached for the handle, not used to running in the heels.

Maya giggled a bit at her clumsy friend, letting a few tears drop before wiping them away. When she turned back to her friends' table, she ran smack dab into a firm chest.

"Can we please talk, Sugar?" Zay asked, grabbing her forearms to steady her.

"Zay..."

"I know, Maya, you don't want any drama. I don't either. Please, a couple of minutes. That's all I ask," Zay pleaded, raising his arms up to seem less threatening.

Maya nodded with resignation, following him up the stairs to a secluded corner. She had been having a nice conversation with Tom, but her heart wasn't in it. She would rather be having fun with her friends, especially Zay.

It was darker and quieter upstairs. Most of the surrounding teenagers were locked in embraces so heated Maya had to blush and look away.

Zay, for the most part, ignored everyone around them, guiding her to sit on a loveseat with determination, before taking a seat next to her. He cautiously reached for her hand, feeling emblazoned by the fact that she let him.

"First off," Zay began, sounding like he was reading from a rehearsed script. "I want to say I'm sorry, Maya. I wasn't trying to hurt or humiliate you. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't your second choice."

Maya sighed, pulling her hand away to run her fingers through her hair. "Well, it's hard to be someone's second choice when I didn't know there was a choice to be made. You should have been upfront with me, Zay."

Zay nodded in understanding. "I know, darling. I wanted to be, but I've liked you for so long, I had a hard time believing you might actually like me back."

"Well, I did. Or I was starting to," Maya proclaimed.

"You do?" Zay asked, sounding hopeful.

Maya shrugged before mumbling, "I don't know what I feel now."

"I know what you feel, Maya. You put yourself out there with Lucas and got burned." He took her hand again, running soothing circles with his thumb across the back of her hand. "You're scared of getting hurt again, but I would never hurt you. I didn't mean to hurt you this time."

Maya bit her lip, debating how vulnerable she should allow herself to be. "You didn't hurt me."

"Yes, I did."

"You embarrassed me," she corrected. "I wish you would have told me the truth about Lucas. Or about your feelings. Maybe this could have all been avoided. I could have helped you guys get Beauty and the Beast back on track, instead of standing in the way."

Zay nodded again. "I promise to be honest with you from now on, Sugar. But you have to be honest with me, too. These past few days I thought we were building something real based on our awesome friendship. Is that something you might want, too?"

"Honestly?" Maya asked, a shy smile on her face. "I would really like to see where this thing goes."

Zay gave her a brilliant smile before bending forward to brush her hair off her face. With his thumb rubbing her cheekbone, he slowly leaned in, giving her ample time to turn away, but to his surprise, she met him halfway.

When their lips touched for a sweet, simple kiss, Maya felt sparks, fireworks, butterflies. After months of feeling less than, second best, an afterthought, Maya pulled away from Zay feeling beautiful, wanted, loved. Despite herself, she giggled coyly, her eyes sparkling with mischief, before pulling him in by his shirt collar to give him another, longer, firmer kiss that left them both breathless.

"Hopefully we can help Buttercup and Westley get back on track, too," Zay said, grinning widely.

"I think we have to let them help themselves. Actually, I think Belle was chasing after her Prince Charming as we speak."

Zay gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Well, hopefully, they fair just as well as we did."

Maya grinned, giving him a hug, hoping the same thing for her sister. "They will."

"How do you know?" Zay asked, his voice dripping in curiosity.

"Because fairy tales always have happy endings, Sparky," she teased, grabbing his arm and putting it around her shoulders before snuggling down in his embrace.

Zay laughed, leaning back to get more comfortable on the couch.

"That is true, Pumpkin," Zay said, giving her a peck on the top of her head. "That is very true."

* * *

 **AN: Ducks! Dodges! Hides! I know you were all expecting a Rucas confrontation and I have every intention of delivering on the next chapter. Trust me it will be worth the wait!**

 **What did you think about this chapter? All vacation long, Lucas has been doing the fighting and Riley is finally ready to fight for him, too! I wanted to give Rilaya a little bit more closure, so they can get back to being the awesome best friends that I know they can be. Also, Zaya! Zaya! I love them so in this reality!**

 **The next chapter will be all Rucas and I'm really hoping to have it out Saturday or Sunday! See you soon!**


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: It's here! I hope you enjoy it! More at the end to avoid spoilers!**

 **Thanks for the support! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 2nd 10:00 p.m.**

Riley rushed out the door in a frenzied search for Lucas. She had almost given up hope, frustrated tears welling up in her eyes when she heard a loud noise coming from a nearby alley.

She tentatively made her way down the dark, dirty alleyway, following the loud noises until she found Lucas, kicking a dumpster.

"Lucas! Stop before you hurt yourself!" she shouted, running toward him. She tripped over a pile of garbage, using her hands to brace her fall. Her knee hit the concrete hard, and she winced in pain.

Lucas watched the scene in shock. Seeing Riley in the alley at all without that guy was surprising in and of itself. Watching her tumble to the ground before he had the opportunity to catch her struck him with a panic he didn't know he possessed.

He scrambled across the ground before Riley could pick herself up, worried she might be seriously hurt.

"Here. Let me," he murmured, taking her hands in his and turning them palms up to examine the small scrapes on her hands.

He brushed away a little bit of dirt and gently blew on the cut. She gasped at the feeling of his warm breath on her fevered skin. Moving around to get more comfortable, she grimaced at the pain shooting up her leg.

Her knee already had a large bruise forming and her ankle was throbbing from where the straps on her heels cut into her and twisted it. Lucas' gentle hands took her shoe off and slowly turned her ankle, assessing the damage. His hands skimmed up her leg, cupping the smooth skin behind her knee. He moved closer to her knee, trying to see the damage in the dark alley. He gave her bump the barest of kisses, smiling when he heard her gasp.

Riley's heart beat wildly in her chest as Lucas idly stroked her leg. Knowing she wasn't badly hurt calmed him, but the excuse to have his hands on her was something he wasn't ready to pass up.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"I came chasing after your stupid butt," Riley grumbled, pulling her leg out of his grasp. She carefully slipped her shoe back on before hesitantly standing, careful not to put too much weight on her tender ankle.

"Should you be standing on that?"

Riley rolled her eyes. "I fall a lot, Lucas. Trust me, I know when it's serious."

"Why did you follow me out here?" Lucas pressed, standing next to her.

"Why were you kicking that dumpster?" Riley asked, ignoring his question altogether.

"Because I didn't think you would appreciate it if I kicked that guy in there."

Riley shook her head. "Why would you want to kick Cam? He bought me a smoothie, and we talked for like 20 minutes."

Lucas scoffed. "You know why, Riley. It drives me crazy to see you with someone else, and it drives me even crazier knowing I have no right to say or do anything about it."

"You can say whatever you want," Riley mumbled, leaning against the brick building.

Lucas leaned next to her, crossing his arms. "There's nothing I can say, Riley. I was jealous. I saw you hugging that guy, and I saw red."

"It wasn't like that. I was trying to be nice. I was letting him down easy."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Well, I knew I had to get out of there before I went off on him and made you even more mad at me."

Riley sighed, sinking down to the ground, pulling his arm as she did so he would come to sit next to her.

"I'm not mad at you, Lucas. I'm mad at me."

Lucas furrowed his brow. "I don't understand."

"Okay, yeah, you screwed up big time. Like huge. Colossal. Epic. Monumental."

"I get it, Riles!" Lucas laughed, grabbing her injured foot and placing it in his lap, using his hands to massage her ankle.

"Thanks," she pouted. "It does hurt."

Lucas nodded. "Now, how could you possibly be mad at your perfect self?"

"I'm not perfect, Lucas. I'm not even close." She could feel herself starting to cry and did everything in her power to hold her tears in. She was all cried out. "I should have fought for you, Lucas. All along, every day. I should have fought for us from the minute we met."

"Riley..."

"No, Lucas," she interrupted, stopping the hands on her ankle by holding them in hers. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for lying and pushing you toward Maya. I'm so, so, so, sorry for placing more value on her feelings than on my own, than your feelings. No matter what happened before or since, my lies, my choices created this triangle."

She was crying in earnest now, and Lucas pulled her on his lap completely, wrapping her up in his comforting embrace.

"Please, Riley, don't cry."

She curled up further in his arms, allowing him to stroke her hair and murmur sweet simple words into her ear.

"I'm sorry." He repeated over and over again.

"It's okay, Riles, it'll be okay."

"I'm still here. I'm here for you. We're okay."

The words poured out of his mouth until words failed him, so he settled for repeating her name over and over again. He planted a few kisses on her hairline, and he wiped away every last tear with the pads of his thumbs. When the tears stopped, he kissed her cheeks, her eyelids, her forehead, her nose.

He leaned in to kiss her lips, but she pulled away.

"I thought you said you were sorry," he questioned gently.

"I am."

"Then what's wrong?"

Riley shrugged, looking away from him.

"I thought you said you wanted to fight for us," Lucas accused.

"I will. I am!" Riley insisted, standing up and brushing off her dress. Her back was to him, and Lucas let out a groan.

"Well, then what's the problem? Because, Riley, sweetie, that dress is killing me."

Riley blushed, turning around to face him. "The problem is I don't know what to do. I don't know how we come back from this."

Lucas took a step closer to her. "We could try starting over."

Riley shook her head, closing the distance between them even more. "I don't want to start over."

Lucas tried to turn away, but a soft yet firm hand on his cheek stilled his movements. "I don't want to forget the last two years of our lives. Sure there was some bad in there, but there was a lot more good. I don't want to forget any of it, not even the bad stuff. I want to learn from it."

Lucas grabbed her hand, pressing it more firmly against his cheek. "I want that, too."

Riley looked up at him, her eyes shining, and she leaned in to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek. It reminded him so much of that fateful night in Texas he almost cried out. He reached for her, wrapping his arms around the small of her back.

"Riley, I want you to be my girlfriend."

Riley gave him a vibrant smile. "I want that, too, Lucas. You have no idea how much, but-"

"No," Lucas cut in, his voice revealing a hint of desperation as he held her tighter. "No buts. We both want the same thing at the same time. We have been through so much. We are finally ready."

"But that's just it!" Riley untangled herself from him. "I'm not ready, Lucas. I need some time. I need to help Maya heal. I need to heal myself."

"What about not putting Maya before yourself?"

"This time I'm not," she said confidently. "Please, try to understand. I want to do this the right way this time. Starting over now when there's still so much to work through will only lead to more heartache."

Lucas grabbed both of her hands, placing them on his chest and holding them there. "I won't hurt you, Riley. I promise. You're so scared of the bad things that could happen, you aren't even thinking about the amazing things that _will_ happen. Be my girlfriend, Riley, and I'll make you so happy."

"I just need some time, Luke."

Lucas sighed, dropping her hands and walking back toward the entrance of the alley. "I'll wait for you, Riley, because you're worth it. We're worth it, but we've been waiting our whole lives for each other. Aren't you tired of waiting?"

Satisfied that he said what he needed to, he started back for the entrance of the club. He was shocked to see Riley's little hand on his bicep holding him in place.

"How about we make a deal? How about we go back to being unofficial? We can take things slow. I know it isn't much, but it's all I can give right now."

Lucas whooped, picking her up and spinning her around. "I'll take what I can get, Princess."

Laughing, she shouted, "Put me down!"

She playfully swatted his arms and chest until her feet were once again firmly on the ground.

"I'll wear you down, Matthews. I promise you, you'll be my girlfriend sooner than you think," he said with determination.

"I'm counting on it," she said with a smile, twirling around. "Now someone said something about a dance..."

"May I have this dance?" he asked, holding a hand out to her.

She took his hand, trying to lead him into the club, but he pulled her back into his arms, swaying her gently.

"Lucas! Let's go inside! There's no music out here," she giggled, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Shh! I just got you. I'm not sharing you with anyone, let alone a place packed with people!" He pulled her even closer, resting his head on top of hers. "Besides if you listen real close, you can still hear the music."

She closed her eyes, straining to listen and could barely hear a techno beat she didn't recognize. "Well, it's certainly not music you slow dance to."

Lucas spun her out and twirled her around, causing her to laugh. "We can dance however we want, Riles. It's just you and me."

"Just you and me. I like the sound of that," Riley murmured, burying her face into his chest.

"Riley, it's just you and me. No one else. Never again." He pulled her back to meet her eyes. "I promise. We're a straight line."

She giggled. She felt silly for being so girly, but she couldn't help it. She sighed, closing her eyes before settling back onto his shoulder. "I still wish there was some music."

He leaned forward, whisper-singing slowly in her ear, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away..."

He ended his song, kissing the shell of her ear, and for the first time in a long time, Lucas felt like he was right where he was supposed to be. He looked down when he felt wetness on his shirt.

"Please don't cry, Sunshine. I know I don't have the best voice-"

"Lucas!" She laughed, wiping away a few stray tears. "These are happy tears! That was the most romantic thing..."

"Well, I'll sing to you anytime you want, Sunshine."

"Sing!" she teased, lightly smacking his chest as they began to sway again.

Smiling, he kissed the top of her head, relishing in the fact that he was allowed to. "You are my sunshine..."

* * *

 **AN: So... was it everything you wanted to be? Do you hate Riley for wanting to go slow? Isn't Lucas the sweetest? Tell me what you think!**

 **Coming up... Zaya goes public. Ziley gets back on track. And some awkward post triangle interactions!**

 **Thanks for sticking with me. We still have a few more days of this vacation!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Oh my! I didn't mean to leave you hanging for so long, but things got pretty hectic there for a while. I struggled with this chapter, but overall, I'm pleased with it. It's a bit shorter, but the next scene would make it way too long and take a couple more days. I wanted to get what I could out to you all as soon as possible.**

 **As always thanks for the continued support! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 2nd 11:30 p.m.**

By the time Lucas and Riley made it back into the club, Zay and Maya had made their way to the dance floor. At first, Maya was reluctant to dance, instead doing joking moves and hopping around Zay like an excited bunny.

They both laughed until Zay put his arms around her. He swayed his hips in time with hers and drew her in closer. Maya had never danced that way, that _close_ , with anyone before. When she met his eyes, her heart started pounding in her chest so hard and so fast, she was sure he could hear it.

To avoid making eye contact, she spun around and started grinding her backside into him like she had seen in movies. When she heard him groan, she let out a throaty laugh, causing him to put his hands on her hips and pull her in impossibly close, a devilish smirk on his face.

And that was how Lucas found them. His jaw dropped, and he froze in place, not expecting to see his friends in such a compromising position. Riley turned to him, trying to see what drew his attention away. She followed his eyes to the couple, her own widening in response to her friends' blatant display.

"Lucas?" she questioned, wondering if he was jealous. She took a step closer to him.

"Is Maya drunk?" Lucas asked, looking down at her. "Did those guys-"

"What? No! Of course not!" she responded, indignation evident in her tone.

"Then what is she _doing_?!" He shrieked, gesturing to Maya as she bent down, whipping her hair in Zay's face with her own mischievous smirk on prominent display.

Riley shrugged. "Why do you care? Are you jealous or something?"

"What? No! Of course not! Riley-"

Riley scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Whatever. I don't want to fight, Lucas."

She flounced off to the table where Smackle and Farkle sat, watching on in amusement. Lucas had no choice but to follow.

"Riley, I'm not jealous," he said as he sat down, trying to continue the conversation.

She didn't respond, merely raising her eyebrows.

"I'm not! I'm concerned. When we went outside, they weren't even speaking, and now they're, they're-"

"Dry humping on the dance floor?" Smackle offered.

"Smackle!" Farkle shouted.

"What? I'm not the one dry humping on the dance floor! I just made the observation!"

Riley laughed at her friend's outburst, and the tension was lifted from the foursome. Lucas hesitantly reached for the hand Riley had sitting on the tabletop, and she responded by flipping it over to entwine their fingers. Lucas smiled brightly at her, but she refused to look in his direction.

Lucas sighed, running his free hand through his hair. As always with Riley, it's one step forward, two steps back. He couldn't explain his feelings of protectiveness over Maya, but he knew, he _knew_ , it wasn't jealousy.

No matter where they stood right now, he also knew he couldn't erase the damage he had caused over the last few months. Riley was the most amazing person he had ever met, but one of the most frustrating things about her was her failure to see those things inside herself.

He was once someone who could silence those insecurities, but now he was the cause of them. He hated himself for not being able to get out of this mess sooner, for causing it in the first place. He knew they were finally moving in the right direction, but he was frustrated knowing that it would be a long, difficult, slow, process.

Smackle continued to rant about other observations she made involving the "mating rituals of Zaya" as she liked to call it. Riley tried to give the conversation her full attention, but it was hard with Lucas tracing patterns on the back of her hand and subtly scooting closer and closer until he was practically on top of her.

She could feel the heat from his body from her shoulder down to her shin. She shivered, the rest of her body feeling inexplicably cold. She could feel his eyes on her, watching her every move, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him.

Riley knew she was probably overreacting, but something shifted inside her. When they danced in the alley, she felt hope for them for the first time in so long. That hope revealed something inside of her she didn't even realize she had been missing.

Hoping, believing, dreaming, they were an integral part of who she was, and she liked getting that piece of her back. Seeing Lucas staring at Maya made that little spark of hope dim a bit, and she wasn't ready to lose it. She also wasn't ready to put her heart and soul into it either, so she felt like the best solution was distance herself from it instead of fighting with Lucas about it. Even though she was out of the triangle, she still felt like she was in a precarious balancing act, walking a tightrope between what her heart wanted and what her brain needed.

Before long, Maya came stumbling over to the booth slightly out of breath and a little sweaty, shoving Lucas to the side and reaching across him to grab a sip of Riley's water. Zay came up and took a seat next to Farkle, sitting opposite of Maya, laughing at her antics.

"This woman is the devil! I'm telling you, Farkle! She's torturing me!" he joked.

"You love it," she teased, reaching over to grab a fry off Farkle's plate. She popped it in her mouth and gave Zay a goofy, self-satisfied smile, the kind of smile Riley rarely saw on her face.

She was happy for her friend, she really was, but she couldn't help but be annoyed as well. Here she was, pressed against the wall with Lucas once again literally between them, feeling like she can't move forward with a boy she had liked for all of junior high, and what was Maya doing? Was she mourning a broken heart? Was she devastated that Lucas rejected her?

No, she had already moved on to the next guy. She was fine and flirty and _happy_ , completely oblivious to the destruction she left in her wake. All this time, Riley carefully waded the waters of this complex situation because she was so sure her passionate friend felt just as strongly about Lucas as she had. She couldn't imagine someone wanting him and _not_ loving him, and somehow Maya had.

Somehow the mark Lucas left on Maya's heart was so insignificant, she was already on to the next guy. Why had she put herself through this hell for her best friend, when it never meant as much to Maya as it had to her? As it did to Lucas?

Riley always envied Maya's impulsiveness, but right now she resented it. She wanted to be her happy, perky, smiley, self, but right now she was really angry at most of her friends. She didn't want to be mad. She wanted to get over it and move on, but why were everyone's feelings more important than hers?

Why did Zay, the one person she had truly confided in, not only keep Lucas' feelings a secret from her but actively encourage him not to say anything? Why did Smackle, the smartest person in their group, allow this to go on?

Logically, Riley had made the decision to just forgive them all and move forward, trusting that they all had the best of intentions, but emotionally she wasn't quite there yet. It wasn't fair that Maya could just move on like nothing had ever happened.

"Riles?" Maya asked, interrupting her thoughts.

She shook her head to clear her mind. "Yeah?"

"You ready? Frankie should be outside."

Riley nodded. She slid out of the booth, where Zay was waiting. The rest of the gang proceeded to walk in front of them. "Can we talk, Sugar?"

Riley shook her head, trying to catch up to her other friends, but her sore ankle was slowing her down. "Not now, Zay."

"I get that you're mad at me, but Maya and I talked. I see you and Lucas obviously talked, so I figured-"

"What? You figured everything was fine now? That it magically erased the fact that I cried in your arms too many times to count this summer, that you promised to be my shoulder to lean on, and you could have eased my pain days ago and chose not to?"

"Riley-" Zay said, reaching for her.

"No, Zay. I'm not ready for this. It's late, and I just want to get these heels off and ice my ankle."

"Your ankle? What happened?" Zay asked, looking down at her feet in concern.

Riley rolled her eyes, ignoring the question as she pushed open the door to the club.

"Lucas!" she shouted when she realized their friends were way too far ahead to catch up. "Can you help me? My foot."

Lucas turned around and rushed to her side. "Oh, Sunshine, I'm sorry. I forgot."

He put an arm around her to support her body weight. They limped for a couple of steps before Lucas had a better idea, scooping her up and carrying her to the car like a groom carries his bride over the threshold.

"Lucas! Put me down! It's not that bad," she giggled, very much aware they were in public and catching the attention of passers-by.

"You can never be too careful, Princess," he argued, shifting her in his arms bringing her close. "Besides, any excuse to touch you is one I'm going to take."

She started to giggle again, but it caught in her throat when she noticed Maya smiling at them. Despite herself, she felt that resentment bubbling up again. She wrapped her arms around Lucas tighter, knowing if she didn't get her jealousy under control she would lose him before she ever really had him.

As he gently placed her on the seat in the car, buckling her up before he came to sit next to her, she knew she couldn't live with herself if that happened. He reached down, taking her heels off and inspecting her ankle once more.

He put an arm around her, and she leaned into his chest, closing her eyes. As she drifted off to sleep to the sound of his heartbeat, she knew she would do whatever it took to make this feeling last.

* * *

 **Okay, another chapter down. What do you think? I'll admit I'm so frustrated with GMW right now. I didn't even finish watching Christmas Maya. Seriously, Lucas didn't tell Riley he was leaving? I heard there was a scene where he sent her a picture of him donating money to help kids or something and they cut it.**

 **My frustration with the show has caused me to change the direction of the fic, just a little bit. This chapter originally had more of Riley's insecurity aimed at Lucas, and I just couldn't bring myself to write it. I think I took a bit of my frustration out on Maya, but can you blame me?**

 **Coming up...** Ziley **talks. Lucaya talks. And where are everyone's parents?**


	23. Chapter 23

**I enjoy reading all of your thoughts about this story and the show! Thanks so much for the continued support, more at the bottom!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Thursday, July 3rd 12:30 a.m.**

Riley woke up once again in Lucas' arms as he carried her up the stairs. She smiled into his chest, closing her eyes with a sigh.

"You don't have to carry me, I'm awake. I can walk," she mumbled, her voice still heavy from sleep.

"You're injured and tired, Princess. I don't mind taking care of you," Lucas said, smiling down at her.

"My hero," she teased as she faded in and out of sleep.

Lucas laid her down on the bed in her room, kissing her forehead before whispering, "Riley, you have to wake up. I know you'll be mad if you fall asleep in that dress."

Riley groaned. "But I don't want to!"

"Here," he said, reaching into the top drawer and blindly grabbing a pair of shorts and a tank top.

Riley turned so she was lying face down on the bed and cracked one eye open to see what he was doing. "Those don't match."

"You're going to sleep not out on the town," he grumbled under his breath as he rummaged in the drawer for another top, trying to ignore the undergarments he came across, which was a herculean effort when his hand grazed something deep red and silk.

When he turned back to Riley, her eyes were closed once again. He kneeled down on the bed and slowly slid her shorts up her legs, forcing himself to stop at mid thigh. He tried to pretend he was a nurse, just taking care of her on a professional level, but there was only so much he could take. He was a teenage boy after all.

"Babe, you're going to have to take over from here."

She groaned, burying her head in the pillow as she wiggled her hips and pulled the shorts up and under her dress. She flailed around a bit more, her arms awkwardly hitting her back before she sighed and sat up, not facing him. "Unzip me."

"What?" Lucas croaked out, his eyes widening at the view of her back.

"There's a zipper down at the bottom and a little hook up at the top of my neck. I can't reach it."

"Okay," Lucas swallowed, his hands hovering over her body. "Why don't I go get Maya?"

"Lucas!" Riley whined. "I just want to go to sleep. I trust you to be a perfect gentleman."

And because he never could refuse this girl, he lowered his hands and unzipped the bottom of her dress. The zipper fell away easily, and the tension he felt was lifted when he saw the top of her shorts poking out of her dress. He chuckled at the sight until he remembered his job wasn't done.

He licked his dry lips as he moved her long hair out of the way of the clasp that held the dress up at her neck. As her hair shifted over her shoulder, he got a whiff of that delicious Riley smell, making him gulp. She was driving him crazy. Who knew a bare neck could make him want to kiss her senseless?

His hands grazed over her shoulders to meet at the clasp, and he awkwardly fumbled with it for a few seconds in the dark before it gave way, causing the top to fall gracefully, the dress now pooled at her hips.

It didn't occur to him until that moment that Riley wasn't wearing a bra. With most of her back exposed in the dress, how could she? But there she was, right in front of him, topless. He quickly shifted his body and closed his eyes, ever the gentleman. He didn't resume breathing until he heard the rustle of clothes and Riley's soft voice saying, "Okay."

When he turned back around, she was tying her hair up on top of her head, her tank top firmly in place.

"Can you hand me that little white box over there?"

Their fingers touched when she took it from him, opening it to reveal some kind of wipes that she used to remove her makeup. She stood up, folding the dress neatly and throwing the wipes she used away, setting the box back on the dresser.

He didn't think it was possible for her to look any more beautiful than she did this evening, but when she turned back to face him, seeing her completely undone in the moonlight, he was amazed.

"God, Sunshine, you are the most beautiful person I have ever known," he whispered in awe as if he just made that realization for the very first time.

Even though he couldn't see it clearly, he knew when she looked down at her lap as she sat back down next to him, she was blushing. He grabbed her chin, urging her to meet his eyes. "Don't do that. Don't you know how beautiful you are?"

Unable to speak, Riley simply shook her head.

"When you walked down those stairs all made up, you were so stunning I forgot to breathe, but nothing compares to seeing you the way you are now."

He slid his hand across her jaw to stroke her cheekbone with his thumb. "Beneath the fancy clothes and makeup and god knows what else you girls put on that makes you all look like goddesses, the real you is gorgeous, Riley. Everything about you just makes me want-"

"Lucas..." Riley whispered, leaning forward.

He responded in kind, leaning forward until their lips were almost touching.

"No!"

The teenagers sprung apart as the door violently swung open and the light was turned on.

"No, no, no!" Cory Matthews shouted, pointing a finger at Lucas. He marched up to him, Topanga trailing behind her husband, doing everything in her power not to laugh at his antics. "What are you doing in my daughter's room in the middle of the night, Friar?"

"Dad!" Riley screeched, burying her head in her hands in embarrassment. "What are you doing here?"

"Stopping you from making whoopie!"

"What's whoopie?" Lucas asked.

"You don't talk, wiseguy!" Cory said, turning to him with wide crazy eyes.

Topanga rolled her eyes, ignoring her husband and walking up to Riley. "After our talk, I thought it would be best if we came up a day early to make sure everything was going okay."

"And it's a good thing we did! Now why are you in my daughter's room in the dark?"

"She fell asleep in the car!" Lucas shouted.

"Lucas-" Riley started, but Lucas held up a hand in her direction. He approached Cory, leaving both Matthews' women to stand and watch the confrontation.

"Mr. Matthews," Lucas started, clenching his fists at his sides in an effort to remain calm. "We have known each other for 2 years now, and I think by now you know that I would never hurt your daughter."

Cory chuckled. "I would think the last 6 months would offer different evidence, Mr. Friar."

Lucas grimaced. "That's different, and also, no offense, none of your business. I'm sure you and Mrs. Matthews had your share of...misunderstandings."

"Cory, you know he's right," Topanga said, coming to stand next to her husband.

"Thank you, Mrs. Matthews. Riley, Maya, and I have figured out what we all want, and I promise from here on out I only have the best intentions for both your daughters. I would appreciate if you would put your trust in me, so we can move forward. I know your opinion matters to Riley."

Lucas closed his eyes, and Riley was sure this speech had to be on notecards somewhere. "I want us to have a good relationship, but we can't do that if you are constantly thinking the worst of me. And if we can't have a good relationship, I know Riley and I won't be able to have the best relationship we can have, and I intend to have an amazing relationship with your daughter."

Riley smiled brightly, feeling the walls she built up around her heart crack. If Lucas was willing to stand up to her father, he must be sure about his feelings for her, right? She watched on as her father and her friend shook hands.

Lucas nodded his head at Cory, satisfied he got his point across. He knew he had to do a lot of work to win Riley's heart but to have the Matthews on his side would go a long way. He turned to Riley, giving her a hug.

"I'll let you catch up with your parents. Thanks for the dance, Princess. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

Riley nodded into his shoulder, feeling tears well up in her eyes for some reason. In that moment, she wanted to forgive him for everything. She wanted him to be hers for real, for all time. So what was holding her back?

She watched as Lucas walked out the door. The minute the door closed, she burst into tears, falling into her mother's lap on the bed. "Why can't I forgive him, Mom?"

* * *

 **Thursday, July 3rd 1:00 a.m.**

When Maya heard the knock on the door, she expected Riley. She expected Smackle or even Zay. She certainly wasn't expecting Lucas Friar.

"What do you want, Huckleberry?" she asked, the smile that had been present all evening disappearing from her face.

"We need to talk," Lucas said, sounding determined as he pushed past her to enter the room.

"Why yes! Please do come in, Cowboy!" she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice as she shut the door behind him.

Lucas took a deep breath. He had already faced down Mr. Matthews, he shouldn't be scared this tiny girl. He tried to gather his thoughts, but his mind was going a mile a minute.

"Look, I'm tired. You're tired. Do we have to do this right now?" Maya asked with a sigh, sounding far older than a 14-year-old should.

Lucas looked at her, really looked at her for the first time since the blow up in the Minkus office. She looked exhausted. It was easy to pretend Maya could never be hurt, she put on a front for everyone. She wanted to seem like the toughest person in world, but he finally saw the cracks in her armor. She had put on a good show for their friends. She had fooled everyone, even Riley. She had almost fooled him, but she must be too tired to hide behind her façade of jokes and snark. Lucas ran a hand through his hair.

"Okay...Okay, Maya, you win, but first thing tomorrow. We are going to talk. I need to figure out a way for us to be friends again. I need you on my side."

Maya opened the door as quickly as she had closed it.

"It's not all about you, Ranger Rick," she murmured, her eyes glistening with tears.

Lucas shook his head solemnly. "No, it's not."

Noticing the tears of the normally resilient young woman, he gave her a hug completely unaware that Riley, who had just bid her parents' goodnight, was standing in the hallway and witnessing his attempt at comforting their friend.

Riley closed her door quietly, not wanting to disturb them, and the tears that had finally subsided, coming back in full force. She wanted to believe that what she saw was innocent, that it was different than all the times she saw him hugging Maya after he had hugged her, but she couldn't shut her heart off. She couldn't stop herself from the jealousy the bubbled up inside her.

She had to figure out a way to move forward with Lucas, but, if she couldn't she needed to figure out a way to move on.

* * *

 ***Dodges things being thrown at her* Don't hate me for the Lucaya hug! Think about the speech to Cory!** **That was good and happy, right? What are we thinking?**

 **I'm building things in a way that makes sense for all 6 of our kids to move forward together, but they all need to fight for themselves and each other and realize what they mean to one another. It's been emotional for me because more often than not, Riley is the one being put through the ringer. I can't blame her for assuming things, but I want to wring her neck some times, too.**

 **I'm hoping all the pain and heart ache will be worth it in the end.**

 **I'll try to update soon-ish, but the holidays are a hectic time. I do have some time off work coming up in about two weeks, and I would really like to finish this story! I am hoping to have this one finished with 40 chapters or less, but as this is my first long story, I'm not too good at predicting. I hope you guys are still in it for the long haul with me!**

 **See you soon!**


	24. Chapter 24

**AN: I love all the support. I hope you're all still here. More at the bottom. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Thursday, July 3rd 6:30 a.m.**

Lucas woke up bright and early, not wanting to waste any time. Now that Riley had finally given him an opening, he was going to take full advantage of it.

He crept out of the room quietly, trying to leave Zay undisturbed.

He knocked softly on the door down the hall and was surprised when Smackle immediately answered the door.

"Uh... Where's Maya?"

"She's still sleeping. Mr. and Mrs. Matthews came a night early and kicked me out of my room. Evidently, that is the room they always sleep in," Smackle said with a shrug, seemingly unbothered by the whole situation.

"Well, can you wake up Maya? I really need to talk to her and I'd rather do it before all the parents get involved."

"It's awful early, Lucas. Maya won't be agreeable."

"Smackle, I'm trying to make some inroads with Riley. I have to come to a resolution with Maya, and I spent all night trying to figure out what that would look like, I don't want to wait any longer."

"Gosh, keep your pants on, Hopalong. I'm up. Give me a chance to get dressed, and I'll meet you downstairs," a pile of blankets that sounded like Maya called from the bed.

Lucas nodded, leaving the two girls by themselves. Smackle turned to leave as well, but Maya stopped her.

"Where are you going?"

"I have a plan."

"Smackle, no plans! Plans will just get you in trouble. Have you learned nothing?" Maya groaned.

"Not this plan, my friend. I just figured out how to help everyone." Maya could hear the smile in her friend's voice, feeling like if Smackle sounded so sure of herself she should trust her.

With that, Smackle left the room, walking straight into Riley's.

"Get up! You need to go talk to Zay," Smackle shouted as she opened up the curtains and threw the blankets off the bed.

"What?" Riley grumbled. "Is the house on fire? What's going on?"

Smackle threw Riley a swimsuit, shorts, and a tank. "Get dressed. Go talk to Zay. Figure out your life."

Riley started getting dressed. "Wait, what?"

Smackle rubbed her eyes. "I'm going to say this one time. Zay is Lucas's Maya. Maya is Zay's Riley. Zay is Maya's Lucas. Lucas is Maya's Zay."

Riley was pulling her shirt down and had to pause in the middle of it to contemplate Smackle's revelation. Her arms akimbo, her hair a mess, and her head half sticking out of the top, she looked as confused as she felt.

"I don't understand, Smackle."

Smackle nodded. "Exactly. Go talk to Zay."

Smackle left the room, knocking on the boys' door on her way to see Farkle while shouting, "Zay! Riley's ready to talk!"

Riley was sitting on her bed, mumbling about Mayas and Rileys when Zay came in. "Rumor has it you're ready to talk."

"Am I your Maya?"

"What?"

"Is Maya your Riley?"

"This sounds like a girl thing I will never understand. Let's go outside."

Riley nodded, following Zay down the stairs.

* * *

"I'm sorry."

Maya sighed, staring off into the ocean from her perch on a big rock a good distance from the beach house.

"You don't have to be sorry, Lucas. From the minute Farkle opened his mouth I knew how this would play out."

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked, concerned that she used his real name.

"Riley wins. I lose. Riley has the nice apartment, the nice brother, the nice mother, the nice father, the nice family, the nice window. Riley gets the nice guy."

"Zay is a nice guy..." Lucas offered.

Maya rolled her eyes. "That's not the point."

"You have a lot, too, Maya. Things with your mom are finally settling, and you have Shawn. You have your friends. We aren't too shabby if I do say so myself. Most of all, you have Riley. She's the nicest of nice things, and she has always put you first. Always. So I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not realizing sooner what Riley was trying to do for us. I'm sorry for embarrassing you in front of our friends, and I'm really sorry for not being honest about my feelings all along."

"Why weren't you? Honest, I mean?" Maya asked, genuinely curious.

Lucas shrugged. "I didn't want to hurt you, and I _really_ didn't want to hurt her. Maya, I don't want to keep reliving the past few months. We have all made mistakes, especially me. Can we try to move forward as friends? You're with my best friend, and I'm trying to be with yours. It would be really awkward if we couldn't find a way to get along."

"Did you ever have real feelings for me at all?"

Lucas took a moment to gather his thoughts. He took so long that Maya thought he wasn't going to answer. She was just getting ready to stand up when he grabbed her wrist, halting her movements.

"I've thought a lot about this because for a long time I was confused. When Riley took herself out of the equation... I tried to care about you the way I cared about her. But you know how she brother-zoned me?"

Maya nodded, urging him to continue.

"I didn't quite understand what she was saying, what kind of relationship she was describing. It took me a long time to realize, she was talking about a relationship, but not hers and mine. She was talking about ours. I care about you a lot, Maya. I do love you, like a sister. An annoying little sister who pesters me, bugs me, drives me insane!"

They both chuckled for a minute before Lucas continued. "I have such an overwhelming desire to protect you from harm that I ended up hurting you myself. I really want to make it up to you. Can we start over? As friends? We have never really truly been friends before."

Maya put an arm around Lucas' shoulder. "Sure thing, bro."

They both smiled and stood up, wiping the sand off their legs.

"And my first duty as your sister is to tell you if you ever hurt my sister again, I'll hurt you."

Lucas' laughter died out at the serious look on her face.

"Maya, if Zay hurts you, I'll hurt him."

She grinned, reaching up to tousle his hair. "Don't be so over-protective, bro."

Lucas laughed, thinking this was the first nickname she gave him that he truly didn't mind at all.

* * *

Riley sat on the bottom step of the deck, covering her bare feet with sand and trying desperately to avoid eye contact with Zay.

"I'm sorry, Sugar."

Riley nodded but didn't respond.

"Really. I promised I would protect you, but I'm the one that made Lucas keep quiet so I could go after Maya."

"Why didn't you tell me you had feelings for Maya? I would have helped," Riley said, sounding dejected.

Zay sighed. "I didn't want to make it seem like you were scheming to get Lucas. I thought that would cause problems for you and Maya."

Riley nodded, believing his answer.

"I wasn't going to tell anyone until this whole mess was over, but then I woke up with Maya in my arms, and I couldn't help myself."

Riley smiled, remembering how surprised she was when she saw the two of them together in the van. Looking back on it, they looked like they fit.

"I don't like what you guys did. I don't like my friends talking about me behind my back, making decisions for me and about me. It was a really rotten thing to do, and I really thought you of all people had my back in all this."

"I did! I do!" Zay exclaimed, looking down at the sand to continue in a small voice. "It's just... Don't take this the wrong way, but you make it really easy for people to take you for granted."

Riley made a squeak of indignation. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You put everybody first. Your friends, your parents, your brother, Maya. You always put us first, so that makes it easier to put you last. We know you'll always forgive us, you'll always be understanding and compassionate. It's not right, but it's true. We don't mean to take advantage. Some times it just happens."

"We really don't mean it," Farkle said, coming to sit on the step above them, Smackle at his side.

"You're such a good friend to us, and we really want to be good friends to you, too. Can you forgive us? Can you let us try?" Smackle asked as the two boys nodded along with her.

Riley looked at the sincere faces of her three friends and knew she would forgive them of anything. Even if they didn't deserve it. That's the kind of person she wanted to be.

"Guys!" She squealed, bringing them all in for a hug. "We all need to forgive each other and take care of each other! We're family."

"Can anyone join in on this hug? Or is this a private party?" Maya asked as she and Lucas approached the group.

Riley jumped up. "I always have a hug for my Peaches."

When the girls broke a part, Lucas asked softly, "What about one for me?"

His unsure smile had Riley giving in before she had the chance to think. She wrapped her arms around his neck and inhaled his scent. She let go before he was ready, turning to her friends.

"Can we please stop the drama now? I forgive all of you, you all forgive each other. Our vacation is almost over, and I feel like all we have done is talk each other to death."

Maya grabbed her elbow. "Well, your parents came in last night with Farkle's parents, which means we can take the boat out today!"

"Yes!"

"I already asked dad and he said we could after lunch when Shawn and Katy got here."

"My mom's coming? Here? Why? I thought she had to work?" Maya asked both excited and curious. She couldn't remember a time her mom had been able to get the holiday off to spend with her.

"Mr. Hunter pulled some strings, bribed some waitresses, and begged, according to Mr. Matthews," Smackle answered, but Maya wasn't listening.

She was responding to Zay's goofy grin with one of her own. "Hey."

"Hi."

"Hey," Maya said again in a daze.

"Hey! That's _our_ thing!" Riley pouted, Lucas putting a comforting arm around her.

Zay had the decency to look sheepish before grabbing Maya's hand. "Want to go be lazy at the beach until lunch?"

"Aw! You know me so well! Being lazy is one of my many talents! I'll grab my suit and meet you out there, okay?"

She glanced around at her friends before planting a swift but firm kiss on his lips. Blushing bright red, she raced back into the house. Farkle and Smackle were already walking off to the beach, leaving Zay, Lucas, and Riley at the bottom of the steps.

"So...we're good, Riley? For real?" Zay asked, grabbing her forearm gently to bring her focus back to him.

"Yeah, Zay, we're really good. One bad call doesn't erase all the good ones. Thank you for taking care of me this summer."

"Thank you for letting me." He gave her one last hug before he ran off, chasing the two geniuses with excited questions about the boat.

Lucas and Riley stood around, looking bashful. It was funny. Lucas knew he was making progress. He had made his choice, made the romantic speeches, got her parents' approval, and made up with their friends.

The only thing standing in their way was Riley. Her own fears, doubts, and insecurities made up an important part of who she was. She believed in the world so much and believed in herself so little. He found it both endearing and frustrating that she was so humble she couldn't see how incredible she was.

This morning he was feeling so confident in the actions he was taking, that everything he was doing was going to lead him right to her arms. After his talk with Maya, he knew she was on his side, and having the other one on his side felt a lot like having her on his side.

"How are you feeling? Really," Lucas asked, pulling her down to sit on the steps. He was pleasantly surprised when she perched herself on his lap.

"I'm...okay."

"Just okay?" he asked hesitantly, wrapping his arms around her to help her keep her balance.

"I believe you when you say you want to be with me," Riley began carefully, stroking his back in a comforting manner. "These last few days have been such a whirlwind, I think my heart and my mind are just trying to catch up. I love that you stood up to my dad and that you are trying to mend fences with Maya. There is literally nothing else you can do to make this better for me, okay?"

Lucas didn't know how to take that. "If I can't do anything, does that mean there's no hope?"

Riley spun around, giving him a tight hug. "There is always hope, Lucas. Please don't give up on me, not just yet."

"Never, Riley," he whispered fiercely, squeezing her just as tight. "I will never give up on you. You're my Pluto."

* * *

 **AN: The only way you can show growth is if a person confronts the thing they are scared of. Riley needs to confront her insecurities about this relationship, and I'm allowing her to do that. If you don't like that, if you think she should fall into Lucas' arms and forgive him of all things because he has said some pretty words over the course of 5 days, this story probably isn't for you. (I get we are 24 chapters in, but it has still only been 5 days for these characters.)**

 **I personally think I've done a good job of getting these kids' friendships on track, and I am really happy with where Zaya is right now. The next couple of chapters will focus pretty heavily on Riley and getting her where she needs to be to move forward. That comes with some uncertainty. She has been 1 step forward, 2 steps back about her feelings for Lucas from day one in my opinion. Lucas took months to get there, give Riley (and me) a bit of time. I promise you won't be disappointed.**

 **I know exactly where I'm taking this story, and I think it's a worthwhile journey.**

 **See you soon!**


	25. Chapter 25

**AN: Yay! I'm on vacation! I'm hoping to update a bit more before the holiday season takes a hold of my life! I'm also writing a small Christmas story, so be on the lookout for that!**

 **This chapter felt clunky with having so many people in it. I took on a lot with this story, trying to fix all the friendships and relationships, but one relationship I really wanted to examine was Shawn and Riley's. I feel like in season 1, they built up this idea that Shawn was going to try to be more a part of her life, and that took a backseat to the Maya/Shawn/Katy thing. Also, the only boat experience I have is drinking on a pontoon in college, so please forgive me if my small amount of research is wrong. More at the bottom! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Thursday, July 3rd 11:00 a.m.**

Maya had brought a basket of bagels, fruit, and muffins courtesy of Grace to the beach with her, and the group of friends had spent the morning snacking and joking.

It was one of those perfect summer days, hot enough for swimming, but breezy enough to be comfortable out of the water. While they were spending time as a group, it was easy to notice the shift in dynamics. They were paired off now, each couple frequently getting lost in their own worlds, fading in and out of the conversation.

Riley tried to stay focused on the group, on the silly stories Zay was telling, but Lucas had made sure to stick close to her and his constant touches made it difficult. Her four other friends were coupled off, so it seemed only natural that she and Lucas would gravitate toward each other. To be honest, it was always natural for her to gravitate toward Lucas.

Maya and Zay were being disgustingly sweet, and Riley was genuinely surprised to see this side of her sister. The feelings of resentment from the night before were still simmering under the surface, but she was trying her best to keep herself in check.

Instead, she decided to focus on how happy she was for both Maya and Zay. Watching Zay watch Maya made her heart clench at the outpouring of devotion. She wondered if Lucas ever looked at her like that.

The alarm going off on Farkle's phone shook her out of her musings.

"We better go get ready for the yacht," Farkle said. "Don't forget to pack an overnight bag!"

"We are going to sleep on the boat?" Lucas asked.

"There's accommodations. The owner's suite and four cabins. Usually, the parents start drinking wine, and Dad won't want to drive back."

"Just wait!" Maya said, laughing. "Mr. Matthews gets super drunk off like 2 glasses and will start being absolutely ridiculous. The last time we came, he started crying about how he was a falcon!"

Riley shook her head, laughing. "It will be even worse with Shawn here. Last time they drank together, they kept trying to prank call Mr. Feeny, but they were using their own cellphones, so he knew it was them."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Obviously your parents don't drink that much."

Maya, Farkle, and Riley all shook their heads.

Farkle turned to Smackle. "It's a lot of fun, though. Most of the yacht club will be out on their boats and once night hits, they'll start setting off fireworks."

"And you know it's the good stuff because they're all rich!" Maya exclaimed.

"It's not even the 4th of July yet!" Smackle protested.

"Close enough. In Texas, people would start shooting off fireworks mid-June and wouldn't stop until Labor day," Zay said with a smirk.

They all went to their respective rooms to freshen up and pack their bags. Riley changed into yet another swimsuit. This one was flag-themed with red and white stripes on the bottom and blue with white stars at the top. She put a simple white summer dress on over it and completed the look with red flip-flops.

She touched up her light makeup and ran a brush through her hair, putting hair tie around her wrist in case she wanted to put it up later. Satisfied with her appearance, she grabbed her overnight bag and went to meet the other girls their room.

"Is your mom here yet?" she asked as soon as she walked into the room.

Maya shrugged. "I'm sure we'll hear your dad's shrieks as soon as Shawn gets here."

Riley rolled her eyes as Smackle giggled. "Is it really that bad?"

"Worse," Maya and Riley said at the same time.

As if on que, the girls heard a high-pitched screech. The kids all raced down the stairs in time to see Shawn throw his bags on the ground and Cory run into his arms. They proceeded to do a choreographed high-five, complete with a dance.

Topanga, used to this display, rolled her eyes, giving Katy a hug. "I'm so happy you could come!"

"Mom!" Maya cried, genuinely excited to see her. For once in her life, everything was coming into place. She had this great guy who liked her and only her. She had Riley back. She had Shawn, and because of that, her mom was here.

She wasn't broken anymore. She didn't have a reason to be. Family wasn't blood. Kermit wasn't family. The 13 people in this room had been more family to her than he ever had. She had no excuses for her rash behavior. Not anymore.

It was both liberating and terrifying all at once. She had everything she ever wanted right at her finger tips. What happens when it slips away? What if she is the reason it all falls apart? What if everything works out and she still is this complete mess of a person? What if the reason she's broken is because she just is not because of anything that happened?

Maya shook herself out of her own thoughts, brushing off Zay's look of concern with a bright smile. She was making the decision to enjoy this for as long as it lasts, instead of worrying about the fall out.

She gave Shawn a hug, whispering, "Thank you."

He nodded. "No place we'd rather be, kiddo."

Frank packed up the van, helping Grace into the passenger seat. He was going to drive the kids, while Stuart took the adults to the club in Jennifer's SUV. It was a rather short drive to the yacht club, but the kids made the most of it, laughing and cuddling with their respective significant others.

Riley closed her eyes, wanting to soak in the perfectness of this moment. She listened to the laughter of her friends, felt the sunshine warming her face, smelt that masculine smell she loved that was wholy Lucas, and smiled, committing it all to memory.

"Is everything alright?" Lucas asked her softly.

"It's perfect."

* * *

 **Thursday, July 3rd 12:30 p.m.**

Stuart had set sail the minute they all got on the yacht. It was a large ship with a jacuzzi on the sundeck, which is where the kids spread out their towels, a speaker box, and some snacks that Grace had made for them.

Maya turned the music all the way up and pulled Zay off the spacious wraparound bench seat, making him dance with her on the deck. They weren't quite as graphic as they were at the club, but they were dancing close enough that the adults immediately picked up on the change in their relationship.

Cory and Shawn had wanted to confront them, but Topanga and Katy managed to bring their attention to the fully stocked bar. Grace had made her way to the galley, determined to prepare a lavicious dinner for everyone. While Stuart, Frank, and Jennifer were in the wheelhouse, Frank at the helm. Stuart had been trying unsuccessfully for years to teach Frank to steer a boat. While he didn't mind steering and he had a captain for his larger parties, he liked to be able to spend as much time as possible with his guests, and Frank had grown into a trusted employee and friend, who he wanted with them at smaller gatherings.

By the time they were safely anchored in the middle of the bay, the adults had all had a couple of drinks and decided to crash the teenagers' little party, except for Frank, who went to join Grace in the galley.

Jennifer, Stuart, Topanga, and Katy kept their distance, laying on recliners and soaking up the sun, sipping on Mai Tais. Cory and Shawn inched closer and closer to the teenagers, shooting glares at Zay periodically.

Grace brought over some virgin diaquiris for the girls (and Zay, who protested that he loved fruity drink, too) before refilling the adult beverages. Riley giggled as she offered Lucas a sip of her frozen treat, standing in front of him in the large jacuzzi. Under the water, he slid an arm around her waist, pulling her close as he took a few long sips from her straw.

Riley was momentarily distracted by Lucas' lips before glancing at her father, but he and Shawn were too busy eying Zay, who was serenading Maya with exaggerated movements.

"So, baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover..."

Maya joined in at the girl's part, Zay bringing out the goofy side in her. Riley turned in Lucas's arms, leaning back against his chest as he took ahold of her hip bone.

"No, we ain't ever getting older!"

At the end of the song, everyone clapped except for Shawn. He released a scoff of disgust.

"Mr. Hunter," Zay began, approaching him slowly after exchanging glances with Maya. "Can we talk?"

"No."

"Shawn!" Katy admonished.

"What?"

"Shawn..." Maya started, unsure how to react to the current situation. She could handle Cory. He was dramatic and protective and over-the-top with her and Riley, but he wasn't her father. He was Riley's, and there was a difference between how he treated Riley and how he treated Maya. Shawn was a whole different level. Shawn wanted to be her father.

She didn't want to upset the balance, didn't want to push him away, but Zay was something special, too.

"Maya, you are too young for this! I'm not ready for all this!" Shawn bellowed.

Riley scoffed, stepping out of the jacuzzi. "God, why do you care so much, Uncle Shawn? It's not like you're her father! You aren't even really my uncle!"

She rushed off, running to climb onto the top deck.

"What the heck was that about?" Zay asked.

Cory stood up, starting to go after his daughter.

"No, Cor," Shawn said, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder to stop him. "This is my thing. Let me handle it."

He took off after Riley, leaving the group behind them feeling awkward.

"Well, Ms. Hart, may I speak to you? I should have asked you first anyway," Zay said, giving her his most charming smile.

"Of course, Isaiah," Katy said, after exchanging glances with Jennifer and Topanga. "And please, call me Katy."

The two took off, heading into the main eating area. It was called the messdeck, but Katy felt odd calling the extravagant space filled with bars, comfortable chairs, and glass tables, a mess.

"I really like your daughter, Katy. It's really important to me that I have your approval."

Katy nodded, taking a seat. "Well, Isaiah, I can't approve of someone I don't know."

Zay sighed, feeling defeated until Katy continued, "So how about we get to know each other? When we get back in the city, I would love for you to come over for dinner."

"I would like that very much, Ms. Har-Katy," Zay said, correcting himself with a smile on his face. "But please, call me Zay."

The two stayed on the messdeck for a few more minutes, making small talk and asking basic questions. By the time they headed back to the group, Katy felt like Maya had made a good choice.

When Maya met them with a radiant smile, rushing up to Zay and pulling him into the jacuzzi to sing another song, Zay felt like he made a couple good choices, too.

* * *

 **Another chapter down! What do you think? This was really more of a filler chapter. It's hard to be super pleased with one of those.**

 **I think it's easier for Riley to be a part of Riley/Lucas now that everyone is coupled off. In earlier seasons, all eyes have always been on the two of them, and I think that's a big part of why things tend to be awkward. I think by now, even Cory, has gotten used to the idea of Rucas. Zaya on the other hand...would be out of left field for most of the characters, and Shawn would have never experienced that protectiveness before.**

 **I'm feeling very good about Zaya, so I don't expect too much more drama to head their way, but you never know!**

 **Up next, Shawn and Riley talk! While Riley is "Cory with Topanga's hair," she has a couple of traits similiar to her Uncle Shawn that I think he can help her work through. Hopefully the talk is illuminating for both of them. See you soon!**


	26. Chapter 26

**AN I have to say, this is one of my favorite non-Rucas chapters. This is very dialogue heavy. The whole chapter is one conversation. I wish there were more Shawn/Riley interactions, but I try to explain that in a way that makes sense here.**

 **Tell me what you think! I'll be updating the grinch later today! If you aren't reading that one, it's a more Riley friendly rewrite of Christmas Maya, that actually focuses on Riley! Check it out! One of the things about working nights and going on vacation you either stay up all night or go to bed way too early, so I have plenty of alone time to write! I love it! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Thursday, July 3rd 3:15 p.m.**

When Shawn found Riley sitting on the top deck with her legs dangling over the edge and her arms and chin resting on the railing, her mask was already firmly back in place.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me, Uncle Shawn. I shouldn't have overreacted like that," Riley said, turning to him with a sheepish grin.

He came to sit next to her, mirroring her position with his own longer legs dangling over the edge.

"This is a really great view," he said, ignoring her apology.

She nodded. "It's my favorite place on the yacht."

"I can see why..." he murmured. They sat in a peaceful silence, staring out at the sky and the ocean, before he started again, "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Riley shrugged.

"Well, why don't I start?" Without waiting for a response, he continued, "Last I heard you and Maya were both going after the same guy. Obviously, something happened in recent weeks because Maya is with that jerk and you're dating Lucas."

"Zay is not a jerk, and I'm not dating Lucas," Riley insisted.

"He's not your boyfriend?"

Riley shook her head.

"Then what is he?"

"We're unofficial."

Shawn scrunched up his nose in disgust. "What does that even mean?"

"It's something we came up with at the beginning of the school year because we weren't ready to date."

"And after everything that happened, you two still aren't ready?" Shawn asked incredulously.

"He is. I'm not."

"Why not?"

Riley shrugged. Shawn stared at her, hoping she would elaborate, but when she didn't, he tried a different tact. "So why are you mad at me?"

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"What are you, two?" Riley asked, standing up and leaning against the railing.

Shawn stood up, forcing her to face him. "No, I'm you."

"What?"

"Everyone thinks you're Cory and Maya's me, but in a lot of ways, we are very much alike, Matthews."

"How?"

"You're a runner," Shawn said, matter-of-factly.

"I'm not a runner. Lucas and I are going slow."

"Sloths move faster than you, kid."

Riley scoffed, turning around to face the ocean.

"You're afraid. You think that you aren't good enough for the cowboy, so you're pushing him away before he pushes you. You say what happened back in Texas was for Maya's benefit, but you had a ready-made speech about staying in Lucas' life that sounded pretty convincing, so convincing everyone believed you, maybe because there was some truth to it. Not the brother thing, but all of your fears about losing him."

"Look who's talking!" Riley bit back. "You have had like one real relationship your whole life."

"My relationship with Katy is real."

Riley raised her eyebrows.

"It is!"

"Why? Because you love her? Or because you love Maya?" she spit out.

"I love them both. Why do you sound so upset about that? I thought you wanted me to love Maya?"

"I did! I do! It's fantastic! Maya is getting everything she ever wanted! I shared everything with her because she convinced me she had nothing, now she's the one with the perfect, sparkly, shiny, life and I'm the one left with nothing. Do you think she'll share with me?"

Shawn opened his mouth to speak, but Riley kept going.

"I mean, she's the star of the show. My whole family loves her. Zay loves her. You love her. Can I ask why?"

"Why I love her?" Shawn repeated, a smile spreading across his face at the thought of the little blonde who had stolen his heart. "Because she needed me to. Because she thinks I'm worthy of being someone to her."

Riley nodded, turning away. With a small voice, she asked, "Then why don't you love me?"

"Oh, kid," Shawn sighed, pulling her into his arms. "I love you. The whole reason I have Maya and Katy in the first place is because you wanted me to. I came back in town to spend time with you, to prove to you how much you meant to me, and you, being the selfless, compassionate, caring, _amazing_ , person you are, kept pushing me toward Maya because you knew we needed each other."

"You bring out the best in each other. Maya showed you that you could be a dad," Riley confirmed with a smile.

"No, sweetie, you did that." He led her over to the side, so they could see their friends below them. "You are the center of that universe, Ri. The whole reason we're all here. You brought those kids together and made them a family. You brought Katy and Maya in and made them a part of our family."

He walked them back away from the edge and the prying eyes of her parents.

"Riley, you don't have nothing. You have a family that loves you so much they are willing to take in your friend and make her a part of it. You have a guy that cares about you so much that he was unwilling to hurt your friend because he knew it would hurt you. You have me. And you have some amazing friends, who while they aren't perfect, love you fiercely and would do anything to protect you, even when you don't need protecting. You're the strongest person I know."

"I don't feel very strong right now," Riley mumbled against his chest. "I feel terrified."

Shawn pulled her back, holding her at arm's length so he could look her in the eye. He stared at her for a long moment, debating whether or not to open up to her. She had her father's eyes, and that pretty much made the decision for him. "Remember that one real relationship we were talking about? Remember Angela? You've met her before."

Riley nodded, the beautiful woman was hard to forget.

"We dated in high school and throughout college. I thought she was the one. I was so in love with her, I changed my whole life to be with her. It gutted me when we broke up. I was a shell for a really long time, longer than I care to admit."

Riley nodded again excitedly. "So you understand why I'm so afraid! I don't want to go through that. I don't want to never see Lucas again."

Shawn shook his head. "But you know what, Riley? Even knowing what I know now, if I could go back in time, I wouldn't change a thing. Not one single moment with Angela. Even the bad ones."

"You wouldn't? Why not?"

Shawn put an arm around her, leading her back to the railing. "Because we had a lot of good years, a lot of amazing memories. Dating her, loving her, she made me the man I am today. I wouldn't have been ready for Katy and Maya if I had never been with Angela. I didn't know how to really, romantically love someone until I had her. I saw it every day with your parents, with your grandparents, but I didn't know I was capable of it."

Riley seemed to be mulling over his words, unable to respond.

Feeling like he was getting through to her, he continued, "I don't know if Lucas will be your Angela or your Topanga. You two will have your own story, but either way, it will be worth it, because it will be yours and it will shape the woman you become."

"Having my own story sounds really great right about now. Lately, I feel like I'm a side character in someone else's."

Shawn raised his eyebrow. "It's okay to be annoyed with Maya. She seems perfectly happy, completely oblivious to the fact that she blew up your life. She's with Zay now, and you're left to pick up the pieces."

Riley nodded. "I feel like a horrible friend. I don't want her to be devastated or anything, but she's not even a little bit sad. Lucas never meant as much to her as he did to me."

"No, he didn't, but you're aren't a horrible friend. You did what you thought was right at the time, and now you never have to wonder if there's something between Maya and Lucas ever again."

Riley shrugged. "I saw them hugging last night, and no matter what happened in the last couple days, I still wondered. I was still heartbroken. I don't know what is wrong with me."

"You're in love. Sometimes a certain amount of jealousy goes with the territory. Once in college, your father became convinced that your mom and I would be a better couple, that we had unresolved feelings." all they had been through, he wanted us to go on a date! They were engaged and he wanted us to explore our feelings! It was insane!"

He paused for a minute, caught up in the memories. Shaking his head, laughing, he came back to the present. "After all they had been through, he wanted us to go on a date! They were engaged and he wanted us to explore our feelings! It was insane!"

Riley laughed, trying to imagine her mom with Shawn. She couldn't see it.

"No matter how long they had been together or how much he loved her, Cory wanted us both to be happy. He would have put aside all his feelings for us to be together in a heartbeat, just like you did. Riley, one of the main reasons I've always loved your mom so much was how much she loved Cory, and she feels the same about me."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Maybe Lucas and Maya feel the same about you. Maybe their love for you is the common ground on which their friendship is built. I hope so because becoming Topanga's friend was one of the best decisions of my life. I want that for Maya."

Riley seemed deep in thought as she murmured, "Maybe."

She turned to head back down to the sundeck when Shawn stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"But, Riley, take it from a fellow runner, you have got to get out of your own way. If you keep running, eventually everyone will stop chasing you. Even those closest to you will let you go because that's what they'll think you need. If you want to be with Lucas, if you love him at all, you have to stay. You have to be honest with him. You have to fight. Fight for him, Fight with him if you have to, but fight."

Riley gave him a hug. "Thank you, Uncle Shawn, but I don't think you're a runner, not anymore."

"No, I'm not. You want to know a secret? Something no one else knows? Not even your dad?"

Riley nodded eagerly.

"I bought Katy a ring. I want to make her and Maya officially a part of our family."

He pulled a box out of his pocket, showing her a brilliant, yet simple band with one large princess-cut diamond. "I've just been waiting for the right time to ask."

Riley squealed, giving him a hug. "Don't wait too long!"

"So I take it you approve?"

Riley nodded excitedly, bouncing up and down in place. "Can I be in the wedding? Are you going to adopt Maya? Where are you two going-"

"Whoa, kiddo! Slow down. I have to ask first... And Katy has to say yes."

"She will. I just know she will," Riley said with determination. She put her own hand on his shoulder. "You aren't a runner anymore. Katy knows that."

Going back to meet up with the group, she couldn't wipe the smile from the face if she tried. Shawn and Katy were going to get married. She believed in love again. Now she just had to believe in herself.

Shawn gave her a lot to think about. She was still trying to wrap her mind around everything they talked about, but it felt good to have someone validate her feelings. It was another important conversation in a string of important conversations she had had this week.

Unlike the other conversations that left her feeling out of control and drained, this one left her feeling very much in control. This was her life, her story to write however she wanted, and it was about time she started acting like it.

* * *

 **AN: What do you think? Another turning point in this story! I violently dislike the "Riley is Cory, Maya is Shawn" etc., conversations because they are their own people. I love the comparisons, but I think Riley is a combination of Topanga, Cory, Shawn, and even Eric. I think putting her or any other GMW characters in a BMW box is a simplistic idea.**

 **I understand the impulse, but the more the show goes on, the more complex the characters become. Unpacking all of my thoughts about them has been really fun. I've went back and watched some old episodes and clips of both GMW and BMW to write this story, and it's amazing how different I see things being an adult now!**

 **Hoping to update soon, but for this week, the Grinch is my main priority because I want to finish it by Friday. I've already got a good start on the next chapter though! See you soon.**


	27. Chapter 27

**AN: Oh, my! I cannot believe I've left you guys hanging for so long. My only excuse is that my real life has been insane. More at the bottom! Happy New Year!**

* * *

 **Thursday, July 3rd 4:30 p.m.**

Riley and Shawn had been gone for a long time. Lucas and Cory had both volunteered to go check on them, but Maya and Topanga had been insistent that they were fine.

When they finally returned, they both had bright smiles on their faces, so obviously the girls knew better than the guys.

Riley bypassed the jacuzzi and gave her father a hug. She whispered softly, "Thanks for giving me an uncle like Shawn."

Cory smiled softly. "I couldn't shake him if I tried."

"Mr. Hunter," Zay said, walking up to Shawn. "With all due respect, I spoke to Katy and she gave me her permission to date Maya. She just wants to get to know me better, so we're going to have dinner next Tuesday. I would like for you to come, too, and get to know me for yourself. This is merely a courtesy for your piece of mind because I already have Katy and Riley's approval."

Shawn nodded. "You have guts, kid. I like that. I'll be there on Tuesday."

He held his hand out, and Zay shook it. When he turned to walk back to the jacuzzi next to Riley, he murmured under his breath, "Did I sound as nervous as I felt?"

"No, you sounded very manly," Riley assured him with a giggle.

"Thanks, Sugar," he said, putting his arm around her and leading her back to Lucas.

"Hey! Hands off, Isaiah! You have your own woman to touch," Lucas joked, but his clenched fists made Riley think he wasn't one hundred percent joking. Maybe he felt the same way she did when she saw him hugging Maya.

"Relax, cowboy," Riley said, coming up to give him a hug.

"Is everything okay?" He asked quietly.

"Everything is absolutely perfect," she said with a smile.

Instead of getting back in the jacuzzi, she grabbed Lucas' hand. "Come on, I'll give you the grand tour."

Cory looked after the two teenagers anxiously as they walked off by themselves, but Topanga and Shawn shook their heads at him.

"They've gone through enough, Matthews. Don't you start in on them, too," Maya threatened.

Cory held up his hands. "Hey! I gave him my blessing, but that doesn't mean I'm okay with them getting all handsy alone on a romantic yacht."

Farkle raised his eyebrows. "You think this yacht is romantic?"

Shawn laughed. "You're 15. A junkyard would be romantic if you were alone."

Zay nodded in agreement until he saw the look Shawn and Cory were giving him and shook his head in a quick exaggerated fashion. "Not me, sir. Nothing but the best for Maya. We won't ever even be alone until we're 25. No, sir-"

Maya clamped a hand over his mouth. "Zay, honeycakes, shut up!"

Katy mouthed the word honeycakes with wide eyes causing Jennifer to giggle before guiding all the parents inside to get changed for dinner.

When the parents were out of sight, Maya removed her hand from Zay's mouth and replaced it with her lips, giving him a quick kiss.

"Thank you for caring about me enough to deal with my mom, the Matthews, and Shawn."

"You're worth it, Blondie," Zay teased, tugging on her hair before bringing her in for a hug.

She laughed, trying to ignore that Smackle was rolling her eyes at them.

"Why are our friends so dramatic, my dear? You'd think they had dueling families like the Montagues and Capulets."

Farkle grabbed her hand, pulling her to next to him on the bench seat as he answered, "We've just been lucky, I guess. Both families enthusiastically support our union. Everything for us organically fell into place. Zay has had to wait and pine for Maya for months."

"I wasn't pining!" Zay insisted.

"You were so pining!" Maya teased, shoving him playfully.

"And now," Farkle continued as if neither friend had spoken, "Shawn is trying to insert himself as a father figure for Maya. It's a rough dynamic to wade through, but Zay has yearned for Maya for so long-"

"I don't yearn!"

"He is willing to do anything to be with her, including navigate Maya's unusual familial circumstances."

"Hey!" Maya shouted indignantly. "Wait. Was that an insult?"

Smackle shook her head.

"Okay, then I take back my original hey."

"I wasn't yearning," Zay grumbled, crossing his arms. "And I don't pine."

"Sure, you don't, hon," Maya said indulgently as she rubbed his back. In front of him she shook her head, but behind his back, she nodded mouthing, 'he does.'

* * *

 **Thursday, July 3rd 5:00 p.m.**

"And this is my favorite spot," Riley said, climbing to the sundeck where she and Shawn talked as she concluded her tour.

"I can see why," Lucas responded after he followed her up to the ledge, looking out at the ocean. "It's beautiful up here."

Riley nodded mutely. She had done most of the talking as they walked the length of the yacht, pointing out spaces that were meaningful to her, Maya, and Farkle. She kept her small hand in his larger one until climbing the ladder dictated she let go. Now she forced herself to stand out of arm's reach and to be quiet.

She rambled far too much on the tour and needed a moment to collect her thoughts. She didn't want to mess this up.

Lucas looked around, taking in the view, but he couldn't look away from Riley for too long. Her hair was up in a messy bun, still wet from frolicky in the jacuzzi. She had dried off and slipped her white sundress back on, no makeup, no frills, and she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

He stared at her, trying to decipher her body language, wondering what the best course of action was. Every time he pushed, she seemed to pull away, but if he didn't push, they would forever remain stuck, stagnant in limbo between being friends and being more.

"Riley-"

She held up a hand. "No, it's my turn to give the speeches this time."

She threw him a smile to let him know she wasn't angry or upset.

"I saw you and Maya hugging last night."

Lucas' eyes snapped wide open, and he tried to speak, but Riley held up her hand again.

"I believe in you, and I trust you, but it still hurt to see. It still made me feel so...scared."

Lucas started to go to her, but she took a step back.

"I feel so much for you, it scares me sometimes. It scares me that you have the power to hurt me so badly."

"You have the same power, Riley. I didn't know I could care about someone as deeply as I care for you."

Lucas walked up, wrapping his arms around her. She was momentarily distracted by his bare abs pressing against her stomach. He didn't put a shirt back on after the jacuzzi. "But I would never hurt you, and I'm trusting you to never hurt me."

Riley shook her head. "We're going to hurt each other every once in a while. It's inevitable. I'm okay with that now. If we don't accept the bad, we won't get to the good, the great, the amazing."

"I completely agree, but Riley, can you honestly get past all this triangle stuff? I need to know."

Riley nodded her head into his shoulder. "I'm past it. It's not about that. I don't want any girl touching you."

She blushed at the admission while Lucas laughed. "I don't want any boy touching you, so I think we're on the same page."

Riley idly stroked his chest, not meeting his eyes. "But we aren't on the same page. Not really."

Lucas gave her a concerned look. "What do you mean? Of course, we are."

Riley shook her head still refusing to meet his eyes. He resisted the urge to force her chin up, and he was glad he did when she spoke softly, a shyness he wasn't used to tingeing her voice, "Will you be my boyfriend?"

* * *

 **AN: AH! I little Rucas love to apologize for the long wait! I struggled with this chapter because I wanted Riley to show she had grown, but so far it's just words. I thought her offering to make a commitment would be the best proof. Our little girl is growing up! Also, I needed to separate the group up because writing for 14 people in the same room is way too hard!**

 **Don't expect any more group gatherings to be the main focus. I'm nearing the end of this story and I really want to zero in on Riley, mainly to counteract that the show hasn't been! LOL. I hope you liked this little chapter! Thanks for the support! See you soon!**


	28. Chapter 28

**AN: Well, I'm hoping Netflix or another network picks up our show, but if not, I'm still here. I'm still writing. I'm still reading. I'm not going anywhere. These last couple months I've found more enjoyment in writing my own stories and reading the fantastic stories on this site than I have with what the writers have done to our girl.**

 **I'm going to finish this story, and then I'm going to just keep writing more. I hope you guys stick around. I hope we can keep this fandom going. Thanks! Enjoy! More at the bottom!**

* * *

 **Thursday, July 3rd 5:15 p.m.**

"Are you serious?" Lucas asked. "Why do you sound so nervous?"

Riley shrugged, taking a step back before mumbling, "Well, you haven't answered me..."

Lucas laughed, pulling her back into his arms. "Of course, I'll be your boyfriend. I already was. I've been yours since the day you fell into my lap. The real question is will you be my girlfriend?"

She smacked him playfully. "Stop teasing me! It was really hard for me to ask you that!"

Lucas nodded, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. "I know. It was hard for me the multiple times I asked you, especially when you kept turning me down."

Riley bit her lip. "Sorry."

"And you still haven't answered me this time!" Lucas kept teasing her.

Riley groaned, pressing her forehead against his chest. "Of course, I'll be your girlfriend. As long as you'll be my boyfriend."

Lucas tried not to smile as she walked over to the guardrail, but he couldn't help it.

"Well, I guess it's settled then. Me, boyfriend. You, girlfriend," he said, pointing to himself then to her, coming to stand next to her. "Are you sure this is what you want? So much has happened this week, I don't want to push you too hard."

"Yes! I'm the one pushing you this time. Like you said, I've known how I felt about you since day one. The only thing that has been holding us back has been fear, confusion, and just plain not being ready for the intensity of our feelings."

Lucas nodded. "You're right, and just because we're labeling this, it doesn't have to change anything. We're still Riley and Lucas."

Riley grabbed his hand. "But I want this to change things," she said, sounding shy at first, but her determination grew with each word she spoke. "I want us to be together and grow closer. I want..."

Riley trailed off, kissing his cheek. "I can't explain what I want, but I want it. With you."

Lucas didn't think it was possible, but his smile grew even larger. "I want everything with you, too. I can't stop smiling. Riley, I-"

"Kids!" Cory shouted from the bottom rung of the ladder, effectively killing the mood. "It's time to eat!"

Topanga shook her head as she stood next to her husband. "Why does it make you so happy to ruin their moments? You know how much this means to your daughter."

Cory moved to the side so the teenagers could get down. "I'm her father. It's my job to make sure this punk knows I'm always watching!"

"Yes, sir!" Lucas replied indulgently, earning a giggle from the two women.

Cory pouted. "It's too soon for him to stop being afraid of me! I was afraid of your father until we were at least seniors!"

"Well, look at him, Cor, he's bigger than you were when we were seniors. He's practically bigger than you now!"

Cory nodded, crossing his arms like a petulant child, but allowed his wife to guide him to follow after the teens, taking comfort in her arm wrapped around his body.

* * *

 **Thursday, July 3rd 8:00 p.m.**

After an amazing meal, everyone was full and happy. Frank and Grace were the first to disappear, heading to the galley to clean up. Mr. and Mrs. Minkus left shortly after that because Stuart had had too much to drink.

The teenagers entertained themselves as the four remaining adults got progressively drunker. When Shawn and Cory started doing Feeny impressions, Topanga shuffled them into the stateroom they always used. Their laughter could be heard long after they were gone.

When the kids started hearing the telltale pops and bangs of fireworks being let off, they headed outside by the jacuzzi. Each couple split off, sitting on various patio furniture, close enough to be heard if they shouted at one another, but far enough to have some semblance of privacy.

Riley shivered and Lucas immediately pulled off his gray hoodie and handed it to her. She put it on, and even though it was a little large on her small frame, she smiled at the warmth it brought. She was surrounded by Lucas' iconic smell and all felt right with the world.

She turned to say something to Maya and frowned at the distance between her and her friends. She hadn't even realized they coupled off.

"Is this how it's always going to be?" Riley asked Lucas.

"I hope so," he said grinning like a madman.

She smiled back. "I mean..." She gestured helplessly at their friends. "I don't want our group to fall apart. We're starting a new school in a couple weeks and-"

"Riley," Lucas said, kissing the crown of her head before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to lean her back against his chest. "Stop worrying so much. You're borrowing trouble."

"But-"

"Hey, guys!" Lucas called, effectively interrupting his girlfriend. "We're all still going to be friends forever no matter what happens between us now or in high school, right?"

Various acknowledgments of agreement came out of all the kids' mouths, except Maya who took the opportunity to tease Lucas.

"Gosh, golly, gee! Why shucks, Heehaw, don't be getting all sentimental on us now!"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "That was for Riley's benefit."

"Oh, in that case, honey, you haven't been able to shake me for this long. You think a couple of guys and another year of school is going to change that?"

"Uh, Maya, high school is 4 years long," Zay informed her.

She turned on him with wide eyes. "I did not agree to 4 more years! Riles!"

Riley laughed before a loud bang diverted their attention back to the sky. Riley stared in awe as purples, reds, and greens filled the dark starry sky. Lucas glanced at the sight before turning his attention back to Riley.

Her smiling face glowing in the light provided by the fireworks was something he always wanted to remember. He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture, but Riley was too entranced by the light show to notice.

Lucas made the picture his background on his phone and posted it to his facebook. While he was on his page, he updated his profile to say he was in a relationship and sent Riley a request to confirm it.

"Am I boring you?" His girlfriend's question tore his gaze away from the screen.

"Never," he said as he put his phone back in his pocket.

Her own phone started vibrating with notifications, but she ignored them. Everyone she would want to talk to was in her field of vision, and she didn't want to spend a moment of tonight distracted.

This was her first night with her new boyfriend, and even though she was still a bit annoyed with Maya, she couldn't bring herself to care all the much. She finally was exactly where she wanted to be. She didn't want to ruin her happiness worrying about petty drama with Maya. Maya had inadvertently taken enough from her, Riley wasn't going to let her take anymore.

She shook her head, removing the negative thoughts from her brain, and snuggled in closer to Lucas. Glancing over at the other two couples, she had to hold in her squeal of amusement at the sight of Smackle and Farkle holding hands. Smackle was excitedly explaining something, and Farkle was nodding along, chiming in every few sentences, his eyes never leaving her face.

She cringed at Maya and Zay who were locked in a passionate embrace. She thought they looked like they were trying to eat each other's faces. She giggled, looking up at Lucas to find him looking back at her.

"What are you staring at?" she asked.

"My girlfriend," he said, grinning. "What are you laughing at?"

She gestured with her head to their friends. "I keep waiting for one of them to start choking or gasping or something. How long can they do that without coming up for air?"

Lucas looked over at their friends and scrunched up his nose. "I don't want to sound like a little kid, but ew."

Riley laughed. "You don't... You don't want to make out?"

Lucas eyed his girlfriend. He wasn't sure if she was sincere or if this was a trap. He wasn't prepared for another round with her insecurities. He shrugged. "I want to kiss you, but not like that."

Riley quirked an eyebrow at him. "How do you want to kiss me then?"

He didn't say anything as another loud boom filled the sky with a blue blast, followed quickly by a purple one. He grabbed her hand, helping her stand up.

"Good night, kids," he called over his shoulder to their friends as he led Riley to her favorite spot on the boat.

He didn't say a word until they were standing on the highest deck, his back leaning against the guardrail with her standing in front of him.

"I want to kiss you in the moonlight," he said, putting his hands on her hips. She leaned in with a smile, but he stopped her. "I want to kiss you surrounded by fireworks and the smell of your hair."

He leaned into the crook of her neck, so he could take a whiff. "I want to kiss you softly and sweetly. Then I want to kiss you long and passionately. I want to learn how to kiss you until you're so breathless your toes curl."

He spun them around, so he was pressing her up against the guardrail. "I want to kiss you every day for the rest of our lives, but most importantly, I don't want to have to share you. I want to kiss you here. Alone."

He looked up when the sky was once again filled with greens, reds, blues, whites, and purples. Whoever was lighting off fireworks must have been showing off their grand finale for the night. Her eyes followed his, gasping in awe at the display, and when she wasn't paying attention to him, he swooped in and planted his lips on hers, wrapping his arms around her to pull her body flush against his.

Riley's eyes widened in shock, before she snapped them closed, placing her hands on his shoulders. True to his words, the kiss started off soft and sweet. His lips felt soft yet firm, and when he open his mouth and pressed his tongue against her lips, she opened them to let him in.

Just like Lucas said, the kiss was long and contained a passion she didn't know she possessed. The fireworks going off in the sky were nothing compared to the ones going off inside her. She took a step closer, slipping her arms around his back, pulling his chest up against hers.

He groaned into her mouth at the feel of her soft warm breasts against him. He wanted nothing more than to rip that hoodie off and get closer, but he knew it was too early for all that. He settled for bunching up the extra fabric at the small of her back before inching his hands up under the sweatshirt. She still wore the cotton dress, so it's not like he was touching bare skin, but it felt intimate to feel her body heat under his hands.

They kissed until the fireworks had stopped, and they were engulfed in darkness. When they stopped, Riley was panting and breathless, leaning her forehead against his chest. He rested his head on top of hers, giving himself a moment to catch his own breath.

She looked up at him and smiled. "That's much better than eat faces if I do say so myself."

Lucas let out a surprised laugh, definitely not expecting her to say that.

"Much better," he agreed with a nod, giving her one, last, gentle kiss before helping her down the ladder. He held her hand as they walked down to the rooms.

At the door of the girls' room, Riley could hear Maya and Smackle inside the room laughing and listening to music.

"I guess this is it," Lucas said softly, not wanting the night to end.

"I guess it is," she agreed, leaning up to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I really enjoyed our first day as boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Me, too." He gave her a hug, kissing her again. "Good night, girlfriend."

She giggled. "Good night, boyfriend."

Riley reached down to pull his hoodie off, but he stilled her hands with his own at the front hem of the sweatshirt. "Keep it. It looks better on you anyways."

"Really?"

Lucas shrugged. "I like the idea of you wearing my clothes."

Riley bit her lip, wrapping her arms around herself before she admitted, "I do, too. It makes me feel safe, warm. Protected."

"You are, princess. You're safe with me. I promise," he insisted, reaching down to grab her hand.

She nodded, looking down at their joined hands with a warm smile. "You know what, Lucas? I'm really starting to believe that now. Sorry, it took me so long to see it."

Lucas shook his head, giving her a kiss. "Don't be sorry, sweetie. I'm sorry, okay? I should have known. I should have-" He shook his head again. "Let's stop beating ourselves up over what happened in the past. We almost lost each other because of it, and we both know now what we mean to one another. I won't take you or your heart for granted again. I promise."

"I won't take you or your heart for granted again either," Riley responded with such conviction Lucas felt his eyes glossing over with tears. He gave her a tight hug, smoothing her hair back, and kissed her soundly one last time.

* * *

 **AN: Of course, Lucas said yes! Was there any doubt? What did you think? Are our kids starting to build a good foundation or what?**

 **I wanted to get this chapter out as soon as I heard about the cancellation, but I had a lot on my plate this week. I hope the** **Rucas** **fluff made up for it! I'll see you soon!**


	29. Chapter 29

**AN: I haven't watched the final episode yet. I watched Sweet Sixteen and I loved it. I hope we get more episodes somewhere, and the only thing I can think to do is watch GMW on Netflix. As much as possible. Maybe if their numbers go up they'll see the potential benefits of picking it up.**

 **Now, for a mini-rant. The most frustrating thing about writing fanfiction is trying to please everyone. It's impossible. Some people think I'm too hard on characters. Some people don't think I'm hard enough. Some people think there's too much angst. I am really excited about the stories I tell. I thought I came up with an interesting take on the show, the triangle, and the girls.**

 **Let me be clear. I'm okay with constructive criticism, but I'm not going to change my story to fit one or two readers' wants and needs. I know why the characters are saying and doing things. It's most frustrating when I get a guest review with all the negativity because I can't even p.m. them to explain. The majority of them are from guests. The only thing I can say is** **let me finish my story and then maybe you'll see my point of view.**

 **If you have questions beyond that, get an account so I can p.m. you. If you don't have questions and just want to complain, get an account and write your own story. Then you can make it any way you want. Basically, get an account! Lol.**

 **Sorry for the rant, but I just had to get a few things of my chest. I do this for fun, not to get beat up every time I write a chapter. More story related stuff at the bottom.**

* * *

 **Friday, July 4th 12:15 a.m.**

"Good night, Riles?" Maya asked her when she closed the door. She stood there for a moment, leaning against it as the events of the night played back in her mind.

"A great night," Riley corrected, walking over to her bag to grab her pajamas.

After changing into her shorts and tanktop, she slipped Lucas' hoodie back on, inhaling his scent. She listened to her friends' joke about the movie that was playing on the tv. Some Made-For-TV romantic comedy that she would normally love, but she wasn't paying much attention.

She had pulled out her phone, finally looking at the notifications. Her face hurt from smiling so much, but she couldn't stop herself when she saw the request from Lucas. She accepted it and refreshed her profile. Riley Matthews is in a relationship with Lucas Friar it read.

The picture he posted of her made her look really beautiful. Like she was a magical, ethereal, glowing, pixie, the smirk on her face made it look like she had a secret. The caption read, 'My girl is BEAUTIFUL!'

It had plenty of likes, a few loves, and even a couple of wows, but the only thing that mattered was that caption. She was his girl, and now everyone knew it.

"Earth to Riley? Are you even listening?"

"No," Riley said simply.

"Riles! Come on! This is important! Zay wants to have dinner with my mom and Shawn! You have to come up with a scheme to get me out of this."

Riley rolled her eyes and continued to scroll through her phone, not looking up when she responded, "What's the big deal? Your mom sees Zay like every day at the bakery."

"The big deal is Shawn and Katy are doing good. Me and Zay are doing good. This dinner is going to screw everything up! I just know it!"

Riley sighed, coming to sit on her bed and curling her legs underneath herself. She sent Lucas a text.

 _So we're facebook official now?_

Maya kept going on and on about how she and Shawn had a delicate balance and if he didn't like Zay everything would fall apart.

 _Had to pin you down, Matthews. Now you can't take it back. :)_

Riley laughed out loud at his response.

"Is this funny to you? Are you even listening to me, Riles?"

"No, Peaches, actually I'm not. You're being crazy pants! Shawn isn't going to cause trouble, and if he does, it just means he thinks of you as a daughter. Isn't that what you wanted? To have a dad?"

"Yes, but-"

"And besides it's just Zay."

"Just Zay? Just Zay! Riley, Zay's my first boyfriend!"

"Who you didn't even like a week ago!" Riley shouted, finally losing her cool.

Maya scrunched up her face. "What's your problem?"

"My problem is I spent the last 9 months worried about you, and you bounced on to Zay like Lucas meant nothing to you! Zay, the guy you didn't even notice until you suspected that I had feelings for him!"

"Sweetie," Smackle said, coming between the two. "Maybe we should all calm-"

"No, Smackle. Let her say what she needs to say. Obviously, she's mad and needs to take it out on someone."

"You! Maya, I'm mad at you! Don't you get it?" Riley shouted. "It's like you're completely oblivious to how amazing things are going for you. Your mom has a job that allows her to be there for you whenever you need her now. You have Shawn, who wants to be your dad, who wants to be your family, who is going to marry your mom. You have an amazing guy. And you have some great friends. What do you have to complain about?"

Maya stopped in her tracks. "Nothing. That's why I'm worried. Before I didn't have anything to lose. Now everything could just fall to pieces."

"So I was nothing to you? You've always had me, Maya! I've given you everything! I made you my sister! I gave you my family. I gave you Shawn. I gave you Lucas. I have given you everything, and it's never enough."

"I'm sorry about Lucas. How many times do I have to say that?"

"It's not about Lucas! Why can't you see that?"

Smackle stood awkwardly between her two friends, wringing her hands and trying to figure out a way to diffuse the situation.

"Then what's it about? Because we were fine until he showed up! We were fine. It was just me and you."

"It was just you! I worshiped the ground you walked on. I wanted to be just like you, Maya. I was so insecure in who I was, I didn't even want to be myself until he came along. Why couldn't you see that?" Tears pinpricked her eyes as she finally started to calm down. "I don't want to fight with you anymore. I just want you to realize what you have and stop getting in your own way! You have everything now."

Maya nodded, running a hand through her hair. "Okay, okay, Peaches. I don't want to fight with you either. I'm sorry. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. I know that. I know. I know I have taken it for granted that you would always be there."

"I will _always_ be there. We're forever. No matter how much we may fight or bug each other. Thunder!"

"Lightning!" Maya responded, grabbing the hand Riley held out to her.

"Do you really care about Zay? Because he's one of my best friends now. I don't want to see him or you get hurt."

Smackle came to sit on the other side of Maya. "He really cares about you, Maya. One family dinner isn't going to make a difference."

"I really care about him, too. It's like I had no idea. Like I opened my eyes and all of sudden, he was there. He's been there all along, and I never even realized it. Now that I see him, I really see him."

Riley nodded. "I know. He's really been there for me this summer. I guess I'm a little jealous. We had something special, and now I feel like I've lost my friend, like I was just a place holder for you. Because he couldn't have you. I'm sorry, Maya. I'm not being fair, but all summer long Zay was the one person who has just been mine."

Maya nodded in understanding. "I promise we'll figure this all out. I didn't think about it that way. I didn't think that every time I turned someone I was taking them away from you, but you know what? I can start turning to my mom, instead of yours. I can-"

Riley shook her head. "If you need something, I want you to have it. I just need to figure out how to say when I need something, when I need someone, when I need space. I need to start speaking up."

Smackle put her around both girls. "And we need to start listening. It shouldn't get to this point before we realize there's a problem ever again, but, Riley, I think you should talk to Zay. He wouldn't like that he's causing a rift between the two of you. He wouldn't like that you feel this way about him."

Maya agreed. "He really cares about you, Riles. He wanted to fix things with you first."

Riley bit her lip. "I miss him."

Smackle wrapped both arms more firmly around the girls, and they responded in kind. All three girls hugged it out until the girl on the TV screen got her perfect first kiss, and all three girls smiled, thinking of their own perfect kisses.

* * *

 **Friday, July 4th 9:00 a.m.**

The girls got a late start after their long night. Smackle went to bed shortly after the first movie ended, but Maya and Riley stayed up late into the night, gushing about their respective boyfriends, speculating about high school, giggling and gossiping in a way that only two best friends can after coming to the other side of a fight.

Maya felt awful that she had been completely oblivious to the problems they were having. She thought everything boiled down to Lucas, but she had been so wrong. Although this week had been hard on all of them, she was glad Riley yelled at her. Multiple times. She was glad Riley made her voice heard.

One or two conversations couldn't change months upon months of her selfishness, but it was a start. She could now prove to Riley that she heard her, that she was listening. She thought back to their conversations last night, and one thing stuck out in her mind. Did Riley really say Shawn was going to marry Mom?

Where did she get that? From Shawn himself? She was hopeful and scared and so excited about her future now. A few weeks ago, she didn't even think she had a real future. Everything was going her way, and she owed it all to Riley, her best friend, her sister. Riley, who had been so lost these last few months and she didn't even notice.

She had to do better, to be better. She had been jealous of Riley's life for so long that she didn't even notice all the good things in her life as they were happening. She felt like she woke up yesterday, and she just had it all and she had no idea how it happened. Riley was right, she had been so oblivious.

But she was going to start taking notice now. She was going to start being the kind of friend Riley deserved. Starting with Zay.

Looking over at her friend who was sleeping with a peaceful smile on her face, she sent her boyfriend a text.

 _We need to talk._

* * *

 **AN:** **Okay. I promise this is the last time Riley is going to blow up on Maya. I just felt like there was no way she wouldn't have feelings about Zay and Maya. Zay has been her sole outlet all summer long, and once again Maya has taken center stage. Their problems are not about Lucas. They are about the dynamics between the two of them. Riley has stepped back and allowed Maya to have the attention for years, even though she is severely insecure.**

 **The beginning of season 3, both girls made several passive aggressive comments about each other, and I thought they were finally going to address the envy/jealousy that they touched on in the pilot. Instead, we got a situation where they brushed everything under the rug and focused on Maya for several episodes before basically ending the triangle by saying it was all in their heads? That Maya once again thinks Riley is too naive to figure out her own life?**

 **The Riley committee is condescending. Maya's need to protect Riley to the point of being destructive is not how a best friend should act. I love Maya, but I do not love the way things have gone between them. Real friends talk. They listen. They don't act like their best friend, who in 7th grade had one less A than Farkle, is a complete idiot. They trust each other. They believe in each other.**

 **I think they lost a lot of heart trying to get cheap laughs. I think that's a byproduct of being a Disney show. I hope if they get picked up by a different network they can be more true to what BMW was for so many of us.**

 **Okay. I'm done ranting. See you soon!**


	30. Chapter 30

**AN: I can't believe it has been so long since I've updated! I've been really busy, and this chapter wasn't easy to write for some reason. I'm not entirely happy with it, but I figured I would just push through and move on to the next one! More at the bottom! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Friday, July 4th 10:30 a.m.**

By the time Riley woke up, they were already back at the yacht club. While the rest of the kids headed back to the beach house with Mr. Minkus, Topanga and Cory insisted on taking her out by herself.

"I would offer to take you shopping, but I hear you did enough of that the other day. Your nails and hair look great by the way," Topanga said, leading her daughter down the boardwalk.

Riley grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, about that. Can I pick up some more hours at the bakery to pay off the emergency credit card?"

Cory nodded frantically. "Also, you are on babysitter duty for the rest of the summer. Anytime we need you, you'll be there."

Riley readily agreed.

They walked up and down the boardwalk, catching up on little things over the last few days. When they came up on a sidewalk cafe, they all took a seat outside. Cory gestured to a waitress who came out with a few menus.

"So, Riley, I noticed your relationship status on facebook changed yesterday..."

"Way to sound like a stalker, Dad!"

"I wish you would have discussed this with us before you made a big life decision," Cory said, sounding disappointed.

"Dad! We have discussed it to death! You have known from the minute I met Lucas that I wanted to be with him. You heard his speech the other night. Lucas made his intentions clear," Riley reminded, trying hard to keep herself from throwing a fit. She knew her dad didn't think she was mature enough to have a boyfriend and stomping her foot would only prove his point.

"Yes, but wanting something and being ready for it are two different things."

"Cory..." Topanga interjected, not agreeing with her husband. "When we were their age, we were practically married. I always knew we belonged together. We have to trust our daughter."

"I do trust her. I don't trust him!" Cory insisted.

"Dad, Lucas is a good person. You know that. You know him. We aren't doing anything wrong. We are ready for this. Farkle and Smackle, Maya and Zay, Darby and Yogi. It's what kids our age do!"

"Exactly!" Cory shouted, gesturing with his hand to prove his point. "You only want this because it's what everyone else is doing."

Riley shook her head. "That's not what I meant. Lucas and I have gone at our own pace. We realized we weren't ready before, but after everything that has happened, all the confusion and miscommunication, we realized that trying to stay apart was only hurting us."

The conversation was interrupted when the waitress came back to take their order. After she left, taking the menus with her, Riley turned back to her father, her face grim with determination.

"I don't want to argue with you, Dad, but this isn't a debate. This is between me and Lucas. We want to be together, and no one is going to stop us."

Topanga nodded. "We will have to set some ground rules, but we can sit down with Lucas and discuss that when we get back in the city. You two just enjoy being together for the next few days."

"Thank you, Mom! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Riley shrieked, getting up and rushing around the table to give her mom a hug.

Cory crossed his arms petulantly. "I don't like this, Topanga. I'm not ready for it."

Topanga turned, grabbing her husband's arm as Riley went back to her seat. "But your daughter is. We did good, Cory."

Cory smiled. "Don't you mean well?"

Topanga's smile mirrored his. "I meant good."

Riley shrugged ignoring her parents' weird behavior as she reached for her phone, seeing a notification in her snapchat. It was a picture of Lucas making a funny face. She returned it with a silly face of her own before turning her attention back to her parents. Both were smiling at her.

"Are you sending pictures to Lucas?" Topanga asked, her smile getting bigger.

"We're snapchatting," Riley corrected with a blush.

Cory rolled his eyes. "Same difference. Please put your phone down while we're eating."

"Our food isn't even here yet, Dad!" Riley groaned, not looking up from her phone as she read a text from Lucas.

 _Having fun with your parents?_

Her fingers moved quickly to respond.

 _Just getting the third degree about us being facebook official._

Her phone dinged, but just as Riley went to open the text, her father's shout distracted her.

"Ha! There's our food. Put your phone up!" Cory said as he stood pointing at the door where their waitress stood.

"Dad! Sit down. You're acting like a crazy person!" Riley teased, putting her phone on silent mode and sliding it in her pocket. She picked up her sandwich and took a bite. "Now about these ground rules, what exactly do you mean?"

Topanga tapped her fingers against her chin. "Well, your father and I need to discuss the details, but I'm thinking homework needs to be done before dates. We'll set a school night curfew and a weekend curfew. Your door will stay open when Lucas is in your bedroom, and he will be having dinner with us as a family once a week. Lucas is important to you, so we should get to know him better. You need to keep your grades up, and I think you should get involved in an extracurricular activity. Something without Lucas. I don't want you to lose yourself."

Riley nodded, her head swimming with all the rules, but none of them were unreasonable so far. "I don't want to lose myself either. So much is changing. I'm still trying to catch my breath. It's hard to believe I'm starting high school next month, and now all of my friends are paired off. It doesn't feel real."

Cory smiled at his daughter fondly. While he hated the idea of her growing up, he knew she was ready for this step. He and Topanga had prepared her, and even though he was apprehensive about losing his little girl to the young man, he was proud of the woman she was becoming. "It never does, sweetie. I still have moments where I look at you and Auggie and your mom and wonder how I got to be so lucky."

Topanga took her husband's hand, giving him a brilliant smile that always warmed him from the inside out. "We are very lucky, but we worked hard at it, too. Being in a relationship isn't always sunshine and rainbows, Riley, but if you choose the right person and you both make good choices, you'll see that the good outweighs the bad. The heartache is worth it to get to the happy ending."

Riley nodded, swallowing her food as she took a minute to contemplate her parents' words. "Lucas is the right person, mom. I don't know if we're forever, but I'm hopeful for us."

The rest of lunch was spent catching up on the little things they had missed out in each other's lives, filled mostly with anecdotes about Auggie and Ava.

* * *

 **Friday, July 4th 1:00 p.m.**

"What are you doing here, Romeo? You aren't supposed to be here!" Zay shouted at Lucas when he saw him coming up from the beach.

"I'm worried, Zay. Riley said her parents were on her about our relationship and then she just stopped answering my texts."

Zay pushed Lucas back towards the beach. "Gosh, when did you two become so much drama? Don't you have faith in her, Luke? This is our time. You were there when Maya told me about Riley's fears. I have to prove to her how much our friendship means to me, that all this stuff won't change us."

"But I can't lose her, Zay! I just got her!" Lucas insisted, even as he allowed Zay to guide him back to where their friends were spread out.

Zay rolled his eyes. "Are you really that insecure? Mr. Matthews likes you. He isn't going to stop Riley from seeing you."

"You weren't here before. He used to steal my shoes!"

Maya approached them, noticing the commotion from her spot on the blanket. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, dear, Lucas is just being a silly, insecure, baby. We all agreed that I could spend some alone time with Riley, and now he wants her all to himself just because Riley didn't respond to a text or two."

"Cowboy," Maya began with an exasperated sigh. "You know the Matthews have a rule about phone time during family time. She probably hasn't even seen your texts. Relax."

Zay looked up at the sound of a car coming down the drive. "They're here! Now go before Riley sees you!"

He rushed up towards the house as Maya pulled Lucas by the arm, dragging him back to the blanket.

"I'm being stupid, aren't I?"

"Everything has been a mess these last few months. It's only natural for you to be afraid," Farkle answered him as they sat down. "But, trust me, I know how Riley has felt for months now. You have nothing to worry about."

"I thought you worked things out with Mr. Matthews," Smackle said, sounding confused.

Lucas nodded. "You're right. You're all right. I'm just..."

"Stupid?" Maya offered.

Lucas nodded again, grabbing his phone to send Riley another text.

* * *

 **Friday, July 4th 1:30 p.m.**

"Riles! The new episode of Dance Stars is On Demand. I thought we could catch up in the theater. I have to know who got eliminated. I've been avoiding spoilers online for days now."

Riley smiled, turning to Zay as she climbed out of the car. "Sure! Where is everyone?"

Zay shrugged. "They bolted the minute I started talking about lines. I thought we could watch just the two of us."

If anything, Riley's smile grew. "I would like that very much."

She waved to her parents as she allowed Zay to grab her hand, laughing as she tried to keep up with him as he ran through the house. Her eyes widened when the theater room came into view, seeing that Zay had set up blankets, snacks, and drinks.

"Wow, Zay. You went all out!"

Zay shrugged, not making eye contact as he scrolled down to the latest episode. They were relatively quiet as they watched only making comments about the costumes and the dancing. At the first commercial, Zay pushed the mute button and turned towards Riley.

"Maya told me you thought she was stealing me."

Riley bit her lip, looking down at her hands in her lap. "I figured she would."

"Sugar, you have to know that your friendship means a lot to me."

Riley gave him a tight smile. "I know. Your friendship means a lot to me, too. Our group wasn't complete until you came along."

Zay swallowed, feeling happy tears prick his eyes. He turned the volume back on. "Sasha is going to kill it tonight."

Riley nodded. "She is determined to make up for that slip last week."

By the time the next commercial hit, Zay had control of his emotions. "Do you think that you and Maya will stop being friends now that you both have boyfriends?"

"What?" Riley asked with a scoff. "No way! Maya and I are forever."

"You're sure about that?" Zay asked.

"I have never been more sure about anything in my life. No matter what happens. Maya and I are always going to be there for each other," Riley said with conviction.

Zay nodded. "And that's how I feel about me and you."

"What?" Riley asked, sounding shocked. "You think we have forever friendship?"

"Before I came here, I didn't have a lot of real, true friends. I had Lucas, but he wasn't like the way he is now. He was more stand-offish, colder. When I met you guys, I was enamored with Maya. She was so spunky and beautiful. When this triangle all started, I couldn't imagine why anyone wouldn't want her, no offense."

Riley laughed. "Hey, I feel the same way!"

"But as the months went by and you and I got closer, Riley, you are a one in a million friend. There is no one like you. No one. Any guy would be lucky to have you, and any person would be a fool not to want you as a friend. The change in Lucas, that's all you, Sugarplum. Farkle, Smackle, and Maya- they have all benefited and grown just because they have known you. You said the group wouldn't be complete with me, but the group wouldn't exist without you. I will always consider Lucas one of my best friends, but, sweetness, you are most definitely my best friend, too. At least, I'd like to think that we-"

"We are," Riley cut in with certainty. "That's why I was so bothered by all this. I didn't want to lose either one of you, and I didn't want to think that our friendship was about you getting closer to her or-"

"It wasn't," Zay interrupted. "It isn't, Cotton Candy."

He turned the volume back on. "Besides, no one else shares the same passion for watching dance competitions."

"I don't understand why not! I mean, Paul and Denise are getting ready to do a contemporary piece that is sure to make me cry," Riley said, gesturing toward the screen where a couple was standing the middle of a darkened stage.

They both stared transfixed at the screen as the couple enacted a scene of love and loss. After the dance, Riley reached for a tissue.

"Are you crying, Zay?"

"I'm not crying! You're crying."

Riley giggled, offering him the box, her laughter increasing when he tried to slyly grab one without her noticing.

"Just watch the show, Riley!"

The friends spent the rest of the show teasing each other and cheering when their favorite couple went through, both feeling incredibly lighthearted and secure in their relationship.

* * *

 **AN: Ziley is back on track! I love this friendship. I squealed so loudly when they had their moment in GM Goodbye, so I had to include it. Things are starting to come to a close. The week is almost over, but I have a bit more to share. Don't worry.**

 **Please let me know what you think! I love all your comments so much! Thank you for all the encouragement!**

 **Up next... A bit more Ziley, and will Riley ever look at her phone?**


	31. Chapter 31

**AN: I'm back! When I first had the idea to write this story 6 months ago, I never imagined how much work it would be. I've never written anything more than a few chapters, so to see that 31 up there blows my mind! Thank you so much for the support! More at the bottom!**

* * *

 **Friday, July 4th 2:45 p.m.**

"That blows!" Riley shouted, turning off the TV. "I can't believe Claudia and Raoul went through over Michelle and Andrew!"

"Claudia has spaghetti arms!" Zay shouted. "And she is a major witch!"

Riley nodded. "I could forgive the jello limbs if she was a bit nicer. She is so mean and arrogant!"

"Well, I better get you back to your boyfriend before he freaks out even more."

Riley laughed. "What are you talking about?"

Zay smacked his hand against his head. "Nothing. Nothing at all, darling. Let's just head outside."

"No, spill. Now."

"Well, I don't think there's anything to spill now. Earlier today he sent you a text and you didn't respond, but Maya said Mr. Matthews probably made you put your phone away, but I'm sure you've texted him back by now, so it's all good."

Riley grabbed her bag and frantically started looking through it.

"Oh, no!" she groaned. "I accidently turned it off!"

She pushed the power button and waited. After a moment the screen came on and notified her she had 4 text messages. All from Lucas.

 _Lol. I'm sure your dad is just overreacting._

 _Is he mad?_

 _Is everything okay?_

 _Princess, I have to ask did you change your mind about us after you talked to your parents?_

"Zay! He thinks I changed my mind about him! Why would he think that? It's only been a couple of hours!"

Zay shrugged. "As hard as all this triangle business has been on you, it's been hard on him, too. He can be just as insecure as you, Sweetie. Just go talk to him. Reassure him. I'm sure it will sort itself out."

Riley gave Zay a quick hug and raced out the door. Standing on the deck, she looked around, feeling frantic. Spotting her friends spread out down the beach, she took the steps two at a time, wincing when her bare feet touched the hot sand. She stumbled but kept running until she was a couple feet away from them.

When Lucas noticed her, he stood up, hands clenched at his sides. She seemed desperate, upset. He was worried. Surely if she was like this when Zay met up with her, he would have let him know. Did Zay upset her?

"Riley, what's wrong?"

Everyone turned to look in their direction as Zay slowly walked up behind them. Riley launched herself into Lucas' arms with a harsh thud, but Lucas was grateful for the impact, wrapping himself around her. He made brief eye contact with Zay, who merely shrugged before going over to the blanket.

Zay gave Maya a quick peck on the cheek before ushering her and the geniuses back to the house. Maya stubbornly refused, wanting to make sure Riley was okay.

"I'm fine, Peaches. I just need to talk to Lucas," Riley said, gesturing for her to go with their other friends.

When the group was a safe distance away, Riley pulled Lucas down onto the blanket. They both sat, holding hands, in silence. Lucas, waiting for Riley to speak, and Riley, trying to gather her thoughts. How could Lucas ever think that she wouldn't want him? That she could change her mind?

It always surprised her that he believed the lie she told in Texas because to her any girl would kill to be with him. Even Smackle, who always seemed to have such a steadfast control of her emotions, was constantly being charmed by him. After being with him, actually being with him, how could she ever imagine being without him?

Finally, the silence got to be too much for Lucas. "Princess, what's going on?"

"Oh, Lucas, I'm so sorry! My dad made me put my phone away while we were eating, and I accidently turned it off!" Riley screeched, launching herself back into his embrace as every thought came tumbling out without a filter. "I didn't get your messages until just now! Of course, I still want to be with you! Nothing my parents or anyone else could ever say would change my mind! They weren't even trying to change my mind. They just wanted to make up some rules and stuff."

She sniffled, trying and failing to reign in her emotions. "Then when I got back, Zay surprised me, and I didn't even think to check my phone! I'm so sorry. I promise I will always keep my phone on from now on, and if you text me, I'll respond right away, and I'll, I'll-"

Lucas brushed the hair off Riley's cheek.

"Sunshine, settle down!" he said gently with a fond smile on his face. "I overreacted. You didn't do anything wrong. You don't need to change anything. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been bugging you when you were spending time with your family. This is so new, I was just being greedy, wanting your attention."

"But you weren't bugging me!" Riley insisted. "I mean, even if I had gotten the texts, they wouldn't have bothered me. I wanted to give you my attention. I'm sorry that my actions over the last few months have made you question my feelings, have made you feel insecure. Lucas, I promise I want to be your girlfriend and everything that goes with it. I want to be mushy and send each other a million text messages. I know that isn't all a relationship is, but we're new, and I want to enjoy the newness of us."

Lucas chuckled. "Ri, you're rambling. I want to enjoy the newness of us, too. I am enjoying the newness of us. I just had a temporary freak out. That's all. I'm okay now, I promise. You didn't do anything wrong."

"And neither did you," Riley added.

"So we're okay?"

"Definitely more than okay," Riley said, giving him a brilliant smile. She turned around in his arms, so she was leaning against his chest. "Lucas, even when I didn't show it, I've always wanted to be with you. You matter so much to me, and I really want to do right by you, by us."

Lucas kissed the crown of Riley's hair. "We are doing things the right way. I have just wanted to be with you for so long, it almost feels too good to be true, you know? I just don't want to lose you after I worked so hard to get you."

"I don't want to lose you either. We just need to take care of each other. When you're freaking out, I'll calm you, and when I'm insecure, you'll reassure me."

Lucas nodded, knowing Riley understood him. "I can do that. That's why we're perfect together. We balance each other out."

He wrapped his arms around her, linking their hands at her lap. Riley intwined her fingers with his, turning their hands over and resting his against her stomach. She marveled at how even though his hands were large, hers seemed to fit perfectly inside them.

"Can we just stay like this forever?" Riley asked, closing her eyes as she listened to the sound of the waves lapping against the shoreline.

"You won't hear me complaining if we do," he chuckled softly. Swallowing hard, he continued, hoping he wasn't pushing too hard. "This is all I've ever wanted, Riley. You have to know that."

Riley turned around, lightly pushing Lucas until he was lying down on this back. She snuggled up against his side, resting her head on his chest.

"This is much better," she mumbled, her voice growing heavy with sleep.

"This is perfect," Lucas replied with certainty, putting one arm behind his head and the other he tightened around Riley, shuffling a bit as he got more comfortable.

"Can we just lay here for a while and take a nap? I'm really sleepy, and you are so comfy," she teased, smiling against his chest.

"As you wish, Buttercup. As you wish," he murmured, stroking her hair as her breathing slowed. He allowed the soft rise and fall of her chest to lull him to the most peaceful sleep he had ever had.

* * *

 **Just a short, fluffy chapter. I thought I needed to showcase that Lucas had insecurities, too, and they could handle their issues without some big drama or a fight. I think they have talked through A LOT of their baggage over the course of this week, but they are still in uncharted territory for both of them. These conversations are the building blocks to a strong foundation that I truly believe Riley and Lucas should have had after being friends for so long. Let me know what you think! Are we feeling confident that these two can survive anything life throws them?**

 **Next...It's finally the 4th of July and the Minkus family is ready to party!**


	32. Chapter 32

**AN: I'm so sorry! I had this awkward filler chapter that just wasn't working, then I lost it all and had to start over. I finally gave up and decided to skip ahead a couple hours and that seemed to work much better.**

 **Thank you so much for all the words of encouragement these last few weeks. It really makes my day when I get a review, follow, or a fave. We're in the final stretch here. Only a few chapters left! On the bright side, I'm already hard at work on a new story! My first AU! More at the bottom.**

* * *

 **Friday, July 4th 6:30 p.m.**

Riley examined her sundress in the mirror, smoothing the navy fabric down around her body, her bright red plastic sunglasses perched on her head. The smile she'd been wearing since she woke up in her boyfriend's arms hadn't faded in the slightest.

"Riles, you look fabulous!" Maya said with an elegant accent.

"No, dahling, you look fabulous!" Riley replied with her own accent, taking Maya's hand to spin her around.

She wore a bikini top that was blue with white stars under a white vest with a pair of high-waisted red shorts. Her own pair of red sunglasses was firmly in place, matching her bright red lipstick and the red handkerchief that she tied in her hair. Riley's makeup was lighter, and her hair was braided down one side.

Giggling, the girls linked arms and trotted out the room. The downstairs was a flurry of activity as the caterers rushed around to put on the finishing touches for the event. Riley and Maya happily skipped out the patio door where their boyfriends were waiting on the deck.

The girls' arms slid away from each other as the separated to meet their prospective guys. Standing back to back, their fingers lingered on one another as they both reach up to give their boyfriends a kiss on the cheek.

"If I was a less secure man, I would be worried that you can't let go of your girlfriend," Zay teased Maya, throwing a pointed look at the girls' hands.

"If you were a less secure man, we wouldn't be doing this thing, Babineaux," Maya said, turning towards Riley. "Besides, Riles and I are epic. We're forever, and if you can't hand that-"

"I can," Zay insisted, grabbing her free hand. "Besides, you might not realize this, but Lucas and I are pretty epic, too. I mean, I followed him to New York."

The four friends laughed as they weaved through the many tables lining the beach. A stage and a dance floor had been set up, along with a long buffet of various barbecue food. Music was playing softly in the background as the DJ got his setlist ready.

They met up with Farkle and Smackle, standing off to the side of everything. As many functions as Smackle had attended with Farkle, she was still wasn't quite comfortable surrounded by all these people.

"It's a shame your parents couldn't make it, love," Farkle said as their friends approached them.

"My mother couldn't get out of the city. She sends her apologies, but she has set aside some time for us when we get back."

Farkle nodded. "Of course. I'd love to spend some time with you and your mother."

"I don't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting all this," Lucas said, coming to stand next to the couple as he gestured around himself.

"Just wait. You think last night's fireworks were spectacular? Dad goes all out. He had to hire a couple firefighters after what happened when we were 10."

"And what did happen, Riles?" Maya asked, a wide grin on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"This sounds like a great Riley story," Zay teased.

"I just like sparklers!"

"And dancing with them too close to where the fireworks were being set off!"

"Maya! We agreed we wouldn't talk about that ever again!"

"She knocked over the fireworks that were set up for the grand finale after they had been lit!" Farkle shrieked, laughing so hard he could hardly talk. "It was pandemonium! Everyone was running and screaming as dozens of fireworks shot into the crowd! Mr. Matthews' eyebrows took 4 months to grow back properly."

"Daddy never could grow facial hair, not even eyebrows," Riley mumbled. "It was an accident."

"Tell that to Mrs. Crumb's Yorkie," Farkle scoffed.

Tears welled up in Riley's eyes as she shouted, "Mr. Lovebutton!"

"Shhhh, shhhh," Maya comforted her, wrapping her arms around Riley and stroking her hair.

"He didn't make it," Maya murmured over Riley's head to Lucas.

"Oh, poor, Bubbles!" Smackle cooed, coming to offer an awkward hug on the other side of Riley as her wails grew more comical.

Zay and Farkle couldn't stop laughing, but to his credit, Lucas held back to a few small chuckles before he waved both girls off, taking his girlfriend in his arms.

"It's okay, Princess," Lucas whispered in her hair. "It sounds like a horrible accident, but it wasn't your fault. The adults should have been paying more attention, and it was obviously Mr. Lovemuffin's time."

"Lovebutton!" Riley shrieked.

"It was Mr. Lovebutton's time," Lucas assured her, grabbing both sides of her face and looking her deep in the eye. "Everything happens for a reason, just like when we met. You fell into my lap."

"Technically, she was pushed," Zay corrected.

"Yeah, but we were both on that exact subway car at the exact same time and all the history classes in all the schools in the whole city, I ended up in yours that very same day," Lucas pressed on, ignoring his friends.

"It wasn't my fault?"

"Not one bit of it."

Riley nodded, allowing Lucas to lead her to the buffet table that just started serving food.

"Please tell me you have pictures of an eyebrowless Matthews," Zay begged.

"He ordered every last one of them to be destroyed," Farkle said, grabbing Smackle's hand as they followed Lucas and Riley.

Behind their friends' backs, Maya gestured to her boyfriend with her eye brows and some exaggerated head nods that she still had a picture.

"I'll show you when we get back," Maya whispered.

Zay gave her a loud kiss on the cheek. "Diabolical! I knew there was a reason we ended up together!"

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, following after their friends. "We're going to have so much fun with this!"

* * *

 **Friday, July 4th 9:00 p.m.**

Riley and Lucas finally managed to slink away for a few minutes. They had spent the evening laughing and joking with their friends, dancing on the makeshift dancefloor. Every time they tried to get away, Cory materialized out of nowhere.

The firefighters setting up the fireworks distracted Cory long enough for them to head off down the beach, Riley's shoes in one hand while the other held Lucas'.

"Sorry about my dad," Riley said as she toed the wet sand.

Lucas chuckled. "I'm used to it, Sunshine. It's nice how much he cares about you."

Riley rolled her eyes. "I appreciate that he cares, I just wish he would realize I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm going to be 15 in a few months."

Lucas nodded. "And I'll be 16 a few weeks after that."

Riley bit her lip nervously. For the first time, it occurred to Riley that Lucas was a year older than her. It was easy to forget because they were in the same class, but she now wondered if it was as easy for him, too. She knew how much she had grown this past year, had he grown twice as much?

Before long, he'll be able to get his license if he wanted. She knew he had his permit. His father had taken him out driving in the country a few weekends ago. He didn't talk about it much, but Riley knew he was excited to be able to drive, especially when he goes to Texas.

"Where did you go, Princess?" Lucas asked, noticing Riley's unease. She hadn't said a word in a few minutes, and she seemed like she was miles away.

Riley shook her head. "I just realized that you're older than me. By like a lot."

Lucas shrugged. "Just 14 months."

"You've done the math?" Riley asked incredulously. "Does it bother you that I'm so much younger than you?"

"What? No, of course not! Why are you trying to borrow trouble?"

Riley stopped walked and yanked her hand away from his. "Lucas, we should talk about this. Last year, when I wasn't ready to date, I was 13. You were 14. Now I'm 14, and I'm ready. Were you ready last year? What if you're ready for other stuff and I'm not? What if you leave me behind?"

Lucas shook his head, trying to follow her logic, trying to figure out what she was saying. "I wasn't ready because the pressure from everyone else was too much. It had nothing to do with our age. If you aren't ready for something, we aren't ready, and Riley, I could never, _ever_ leave you behind."

"In high school, there'll be girls your age. Prettier girls with more experience than me. How can you know that you won't want anyone else?" Riley insisted desperately.

"Are you serious right now? Jesus, Riley, what do I have to do to get it through your head? I want you, just you, and no one else."

"I know you say that now, but-"

"I know how I feel, Riley! I love you, but I'm so tired of having my feelings questioned at every turn. There's nobody better than you, no one prettier, no one else for me. Why can't you see the amazing person you are? How do you have so much faith in me, in the universe, in Pluto, in everyone but yourself?"

"Y-You love me?" Riley whispered in shock. She had heard everything he said, but she couldn't even begin to process it. Those three little words reverberated in her system.

Lucas ran a hand through his hair, trying not to scream out in frustration. He knew he loved her, but he wasn't ready to tell her that and he knew she wasn't ready to hear it. He didn't want to tell her like that when they were fighting. He wanted to do it right, at the right time, in the right place.

She stood there just staring at him with fear and uncertainty in her eyes, not saying a word. Lucas threw his hands in the air and stalked off.

"Lucas! Wait!" Riley shouted, but he just kept walking. She started to follow after him. "Lucas!"

Shaking his head, he ignored her, knowing he was too upset to control his anger right now. He didn't want to make things worse.

Riley sunk down to the ground when she realized he wasn't coming back. "I love you, too," she said weakly, knowing he couldn't hear her. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she took a deep breath and shook it off. She wasn't going to mess this up she told herself as she stood and wiped the sand off her dress.

Lucas was right. He wasn't the problem. He had made his feelings for her very clear, especially over the last few days. Why couldn't she just allow herself to believe him? To believe in what they had? It was her own insecurity that had been causing all this drama all along. She needed to start seeing herself the way her friends saw her, a good person who was worthy of the good things that happened to her.

If someone as amazing as Lucas could believe that much in her, she had to start believing in herself. The more she thought about it, the more she started to see that she didn't have a reason to feel this twisted up about herself. She had a good family, great friends, and an amazing boyfriend. She was smart and kind and funny. She was even sort of pretty. Sure, there were other girls smarter than her, prettier than her, funnier than her, but that didn't take away from who she was or what she had.

Lucas was right. He could be with any girl he wanted, and he chose _her._ He _loved_ her, and she loved him. There was no reason to be worried about what could tear them apart because she knew that love was the strongest thing in the world. She had seen it firsthand all her life. She owed him an apology, and she would need some help to get it.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket, sending a 911 group text to all of her friends besides Lucas. She looked at the time, 9:22 p.m., she had a little over an hour to get everything together.

She grinned and raced off to the house. Before the night was over, she would make things right. Lucas would know exactly how she felt about him.

* * *

 **AN: *Ducks! *Dodges! Don't hate me! Riley has finally realized that she needs to believe in herself just as much as she believes in everyone else. The next couple chapters will be pretty epic, and I think a satisfying conclusion to what I think has been building since the pilot. Riley's envy of Maya and insecurities about herself have directed every action she has taken in this fic. I'm so sorry for the long wait, and I hope the next chapter doesn't take as long.**


	33. Chapter 33

**AN: I've been trying to get this chapter out as quickly as possible. I really want to get this story finished so I can move on to other projects. Thank you so much for your support and patience!**

* * *

 **Friday, July 4th 9:30 p.m.**

Riley, Zay, Farkle, Smackle, and Maya stood in Mr. Minkus' office, staring at the dry erase board that had caused Maya so much grief. Zay's eyes were trained on the blonde as she stared at the list, faded but still visible.

"Maya-"

"It's fine, Zay. I'm fine," she insisted, stepping up to the board and erasing the remnants of Smackle's ill-advised planning.

"Okay, troops!" Riley bellowed, hands behind her back. "Line up!"

They scrambled to line up by height. Farkle, Zay, Smackle, and finally Maya, all stood at attention with their hands behind their backs.

"Okay, we have T-minus one hour to implement operation: B.A., and I'm going to need all hands on deck. Smackle, board."

Smackle nodded, grabbing the marker.

"Write down everything we'll need."

Smackle hurriedly wrote down each item.

"Flowers?" Zay scoffed as he watched her add the third item to the list. "I don't think Lucas needs flowers. They aren't very manly."

"Can it, Sparky. It's symbolic."

Riley sent Maya a nod of appreciation. "Okay, number four we need to talk to the DJ. I'm going to need the parents on board, even my dad. Oh! And the firefighters!"

Farkle nodded. "Once we get my dad, he'll work out the firefighters."

"So, Maya, you're the artist, can you handle the second one for me?"

"Of course, Honey."

Smackle nodded and wrote Maya's name next to number two.

"Since Zay is so concerned about the flowers, he can handle those!" Maya teased with a smirk.

"Aw! Come on, Honey Nugget!"

"I already wrote it on the board! You're doing it, Babineaux!"

"I'll talk to our parents, and Isadora can set up the display for the projector on her tablet to give to the DJ, so you'll just have to get some balloons. Do you think you can handle that, Riles?" Farkle said as Smackle furiously wrote everyone's names next to their tasks.

Riley clapped her hands together. "Okay, group hands in!"

Everyone looked at her like she had grown an extra head. "What? I've never been in any sports, I've never got to do the hands thing."

"It's called a break, Riles," Zay informed her as he reluctantly put his hand on top of hers.

"What is this?" Smackle asked, putting her hand on top the very top after Maya and Farkle put their hands in the stack.

"Rucas on three," Zay said.

"Rucas?" Riley asked. "Why?"

"We've got to say something. I don't care. We've got to say something. Let's just say Rucas," Zay insisted.

"Fine," Riley sighed.

"One, two, three, Rucas!" They all shouted and awkwardly threw their hands in different directions. It was obvious Zay was the only one who had done it before.

* * *

 **Friday, July 4th 9:45 p.m.**

Lucas walked around the outside edges of the party to get to the beach on the other side. He needed to put some distance between himself and Riley, and he really didn't want to deal with anyone else right now. He briefly considered tracking down Zay, who had grown used to his Texas side and, besides Riley, could usually talk him down, but he knew Zay would be with Maya and dealing with the blonde was the last thing he could possibly do.

How could he be so stupid? Riley was already so gunshy about the two of them, and he had to go and tell her he loved her. Who does that? He pushed her too hard for sure this time. He threw a stone in the ocean as hard as he could, trying to release the tension in his body. He threw another and another, trying to control his breathing, but his anger was too strong.

He wasn't mad at Riley. He was frustrated with her for not seeing herself clearly. No, he was mad at himself. Maybe if he had done things differently all along... He didn't talk too horribly much. It's not that he didn't have a lot to say, it's just he'd learned long ago that words can be just as damaging as fists.

Once you say something, you can't take it back. He liked to be prepared. He used notecards if he had to. Other than that, he made jokes and made speeches when he just couldn't hold in his emotions anymore. Riley was the first person he felt like he could talk to about anything. He didn't feel the need to keep his better emotions in check around her, and even though they had spent months not talking when they should have, he took for granted that they still had the same connection. That they could open up and talk at any giving moment.

What he failed to realize is that he could open up to her, but she had always kept her heart guarded. She wore it on her sleeve, too, so it was a funny contradiction. That one girl could see the beauty in everything but herself. That she could show her heart and soul so freely, but yet sharing it seemed impossible. She gave her love away freely without conditions to every person she met but yet didn't think she deserved the same in return. She had been upfront with him. He knew she was deeply insecure. He didn't understand why, but he should have been more reassuring, made his feelings obvious. He should haven't made any assumptions when it came to the both of them. Even if they didn't want to label what they had, they should have discussed it more.

Somehow thinking about Riley managed to calm him down just as much as the girl herself did, and now that he was calm, he knew what he had to do. He had to let Riley figure this out on her own. As much as it killed him, he couldn't keep beating against a brick wall. He tried to remind himself that they had made great strides this week and he was probably being selfish, but now that he had had a taste of her, he wanted the whole thing.

He sighed, wiping his hands on his short. Walking back to the party, he anxiously looked around for his princess. He didn't know what he would say or do, but he had to find her.

He looked around and didn't see her. He didn't see Zay or Maya either. He did, however, see Farkle who was involved in a rather in-depth conversation with his father and a firefighter. He scanned the crowd again and saw Smackle standing on the stage, messing with her tablet and some cords.

"Smackle, have you seen Riley?"

Smackle awkwardly pushed her tablet toward the DJ, effectively ignoring Lucas. "Are we on the same page, Samuel?"

The guy nodded, waving the weird girl off with an indulgent smile. "It's Sammie G, and I'll wait for your signal, lady."

"Signal? Smackle, where is everybody? What's going on? Where is Riley?"

"Uh, Bubbles? She is around here somewhere..." Smackle said, squirming uncomfortably. "Why are you grilling me, Lucas?"

He held his hands up in defense. "I was just looking for my girlfriend."

"Well, I'm not your girlfriend, Lucas! Riley is! And I'm not her babysitter! I have to go!" She shrieked, running off toward the deck.

He started to go after her, but Mr. Matthews grabbed his shoulder.

"Mr. Friar! Come with me! I want to introduce you to some people!"

"I was actually looking for your daughter..."

"Oh, she's around here somewhere."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Lucas asked, but allowed Cory to lead him away.

* * *

 **Friday, July 4th 10:15 p.m.**

"That's perfect, Maya! My parents are distracting Lucas so you should have no trouble putting it up. Thank you so much for your help, Peaches."

Maya stood up from where she was working on the deck and gave Riley a hug. "I know this whole thing has been hard on you, and I'm so sorry I've been oblivious for so long."

Riley squeezed Maya extra tight. "I'm sorry, too. I don't want to have to keep apologizing every time we see each other. We both are sorry, and we both forgive each other. Love is never having to say you're sorry."

Maya pulled back to look Riley in the eye. "Love is not having to say sorry, but saying it anyway. Because you want to. I am sorry, and I do forgive you. And I promise from now on nothing is going to come between us. Not some guy, not high school, not even our own issues."

Riley smiled, giving Maya one last hug. "Things are changing, but one thing that will never change is how I feel about you. You're my sister, and nothing will ever change that."

"Okay, enough of this mushy crap. You've got a cowboy to wrangle, and then the two of you can be as mushy as you want."

Zay ran over to them just as Maya finished putting away her markers and supplies. "Okay, everything is in place, Smackle has set up the display, and everyone knows what they have to do. The rest is up to you, darling."

Riley nodded, trying not to let her nerves get the best of her. "Can you help Maya put this up? It needs to come down at the exact right moment. Farkle and Smackle are going to make sure Lucas is where he needs to be."

She started wringing her hands as she wondered if this was going to work. Lucas had said he loved her, but what if he changed his mind when she let him walk away? What if he-

Riley shook her head. These kinds of thoughts had been her problem all along. Nothing Lucas could do would change her mind about him, she had to start believing that it went both ways. Whenever her insecurities started to get the best of her, she needed to remember that or she could lose Lucas for good.

Zay gestured for Maya to head down to the party. "You're going to be fine, Sugar. Lucas will forgive you, and you two can start gazing into each other's stupid eyes again."

Riley nodded. "I've hurt him a lot, Zay, without even meaning, too. I haven't been able see past my own pain to realize what he's been going through."

Zay gave her forearm a gentle squeeze. "Don't be so hard yourself. You're going to make things right, and you'll both be stronger for it. If you guys can make it through all of this drama, you can make it through high school no problem."

"Thanks, Zay. I'm sure you and Maya will-"

Zay laughed before she could finish her sentence. "Maya and I are not in love like you and Lucas, but we're having a great time so far. We'll see what happens next."

He shrugged good-naturedly. "Now let's get this plan of yours in action. You ready?"

"I hope so."

He threw an arm over her shoulder, guiding her down the steps. "I know so. You have been ready for him from the very beginning. Your head just needed to catch up with your heart."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know you, and I know him. You're the two best people I know. You deserve each other."

"Thank you, Zay," she said sincerely, turning in is arms to give him a hug.

"God!" Zay groaned into her hair. "All ya'll are rubbing off on me with this mushy gushy feelings crap. Get off of me, so we can go dazzle your man and I can go back to being the lovable comedic sidekick."

Riley nodded, doing her best to make a serious face but failing miserably. "I'm so lucky to have you in my life, Isaiah."

Zay started to tear up before quickly wiping away at his face and walking back toward the party. "Maya needs my help. I have something in my eye. Quit trying to break me, Riley Matthews!"

Riley laughed, trailing behind him, thankfully he was there to calm her nerves. She glanced across the way and saw Lucas staring at a large cardboard box.

Showtime, she thought with a nervous grin as all the jitters came rushing back to her. It was now or never.

* * *

 **AN: I love Zay and Riley. Their little interaction in Goodbye made my heart soar. I am half-way done with the next chapter, and I'm hoping to update very soon! Let me know what you think! See you soon!**


	34. Chapter 34

**AN: I have no good excuses for why it took so long to get this chapter out. Life has been rough, and my kid has been obsessed with Youtube and taken over my laptop. I'm not happy with this chapter. I rewrote it twice, and it really is only halfway where I wanted it to go, but I thought a short chapter was better than no chapter, so this is more like chapter 34a. Lol. Hopefully, the next chapter will be out soon, but I can't make any promises. My family is a baseball family, so we are always out and at games during this time of year.**

 **I can promise that I will never abandon a story, especially not one that I have already spent so much time on. This one will have an ending, hopefully, a satisfying one at that. Thank you for the continued reviews, follows, and favorites. More at the bottom!**

* * *

 **Friday, July 4th 10:20 p.m.**

Lucas was worried.

After just coming to the conclusion that Riley needed to figure this out on her own, he wanted to trust that she would get there, but his unease grew with each passing moment that he couldn't find her.

Her parents were acting strangely. They swarmed him a while ago and led him to a table, and every time he made a move to get up, one of them would stop him. With a sigh, he resigned himself to the fact that he would be watching the fireworks alone. He put his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his hand as he watched the small boring fireworks that shoot around on the ground. Why do people even buy those anyways?

He never thought he would spend the Fourth of July watching fireworks by himself. He was surrounded by people, but he had never felt so lonely. Where were his friends? Had they all abandoned him?

Not in the mood for a party, he stood up, shrugging off Mr. Matthews as he walked across the now empty dance floor. Everyone had moved down the beach a little ways where the firefighters were setting up the larger fireworks. He would have left the party altogether, but just then Farkle, looking rushed, met him in the middle of the floor with a large cardboard box.

"Uh, Lucas? This is addressed to you," Farkle said, handing him the box.

It was rather light for how big it was, but Lucas dropped it on the ground. "I don't care about that. Where's Riley? Is she okay?"

Farkle wrinkled his brow in confusion. "Yeah, she's around here-"

"Somewhere. Yeah, I know. What's going on?"

"Just open your package, face," Farkle said forcefully, nudging the box back toward Lucas with his foot.

Lucas sighed, ripping the box open. "There. Are you happy? I opened it. Now, where's-"

He stopped talking as a large bouquet of balloons floated out of the box and up into the sky. He watched them soar in the darkness, looking very serene as they gently drifted away. A few idle fireworks went off in the distance.

He looked back at Farkle, but he was gone. In his place was Smackle, holding a blue rose. She handed it to him without a word. Topanga, Cory, Shawn, Katy, Jennifer, Frankie, Grace, and a few other party-goers stepped forward handing him blue roses until his hands were full of flowers. Finally, Zay approached him with a single red rose.

"I told her you didn't need flowers," he said looking sheepish.

The music in the background grew louder, and he recognized the song as one of his and Riley's favorites, Bright by Echosmith. He smiled, glancing over at the stage where a laser light show was now being displayed on the screen. The lasers changed into a disco ball with spinning lights and finally morphed into a night sky active with a meteor shower.

 _I think the universe is on my side._  
 _Heaven and Earth have finally aligned._  
 _Days are good and that's they way it should be._

He looked for Riley but only saw Maya, standing off to the side with a cord in her hand. She gave him a wink, pulling on the cord. A banner came down from the top of the screen with ornate letters and a swirling border. It read, 'Will You Go to Homecoming With Me?' He dropped the flowers in shock, leaving them scattered on the floor.

He looked around for Riley but didn't see her in the crowd of people still over by the fireworks. The group surrounding him started to thin out, Mr. Matthews patted his shoulder as he passed, giving him a knowing look as his wife dragged him away. Maya came walking up to him with a large mischievous grin.

 _Did you see that shooting star tonight?_  
 _Were you dazzled by the same constellation?  
_ _Did you and Jupiter conspire to get me?  
_ _I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right._

"Where is she?"

"Who?" Maya teased, gesturing broadly with her hands. "This is all me, Huckleberry."

Lucas raised his eyebrows. "Maya, I thought we-"

She cut him off with a loud full-bellied laugh. "You are so gullible, Cowboy! You really think I would do something so mushy? For you?"

Lucas hemmed and hawed, trying to come up with an answer that wouldn't lead the blonde to tease him more.

"Relax, Tex. I'm going to go watch the fireworks with my boyfriend. I suggest you go do the same with your girlfriend."

"I would! If I could find her!"

Zay walked up, putting an arm around Maya as he said, "If you're looking for Sunshine, all you have to do is follow the light."

 _'Cause now I'm shining bright, so bright_

They both gestured in the opposite direction of the party. He saw what appeared to be tiki torches off in the distance. Waving bye to his friends, he took off running in their direction. When he got close enough to realize that the tiki torches were spaced out around a makeshift floor, similar to the one at the party but smaller, he could faintly hear Bright playing again. A blanket was spread out off to the side with a picnic basket and a tote bag, but still no Riley.

 _And I see colors in a different way._  
 _You make_ what _doesn't matter fade to_ gray _._  
 _Life is good and that's the way it should be._

Once again, he stood in the middle of a dancefloor alone, wondering where his girlfriend had wandered off to. There were little speakers at the four corners of the floor, and he realized the song must be on repeat. A large firework crackled throughout the night sky. He spun around towards the ocean to see it, and finally, there was Riley, standing with her toes in the water, wearing a short black dress and holding a single sparkler clasped in her hands in front of her.

 _You make me sing oh, la, la, la_  
 _You make a girl go oh oh_  
 _I'm in love, love._

He took slow deliberate steps in her direction, painfully aware of how beautiful she looked, her features playing across the glow of the sparkler and the shadows of the night. She looked both hopeful and afraid, but he was relieved to realize the hopeful side seemed to be winning.

When he finally crossed the distance to stand in front of her, he had to hold his breath because the look in her eyes made him think about things no 15-year-old should be thinking, not yet. The love he felt for her in that moment was too big, too soon. It choked him up so much he couldn't speak, so he didn't, gently taking the sputtering sparkler out of her hands, careful not to burn either of them.

He dropped it in the water, making sure it was completely out before turning his attention back to Riley. He put his hands on her upper arms, studying her face, wanting to remember this moment always, and when she opened her mouth to speak, he swooped in, roughly pulling her body to his as he dipped down to slant his lips over hers, pouring every overwhelming drop of emotion he was feeling into her, the fireworks still firing around them.

 _'Cause now I'm shining bright, so bright  
And I get lost in your eyes tonight._

* * *

 **AN: So...what do you think? Worth the wait? Hate me for stopping there? Sorry, but the part of this chapter that I was struggling with was when Riley speaks, so I figured I'd give you what I had. I'm reworking the next part. It's mostly written, so hopefully, the nagging bits that are bugging me will work themselves out soon!**

 **Also, if you haven't heard the song Bright by Echosmith, I don't own it, but I am a fan. I have never incorporated a song into my stories, so this was just a little experiment, but I think the song fits with how Riley would be feeling right now.**

 **Next chapter, Riley speaks. Lucas listens. And the feels. Oh, the feels! See you soon!**


	35. Chapter 35

**AN: Is anyone still out there? I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting! Real life has been difficult lately, and I have been at baseball games literally every day that I'm not working. I'm hoping now that things have settled down I can get this story finished! Thank you so much for being patient with me and for all the encouragement! This chapter is a bit short because it's more of a 34b than a chapter all it's own, but I am going to really try to get another update in either this weekend or next.**

 **More at the bottom!**

* * *

 **Friday, July 4th 10:25 p.m.**

Riley ducked her head, hoping Lucas didn't see her as she scrambled around the party, lugging her oversized bag behind her.

Mr. Minkus had the caterers use some of their extra boards to build a smaller dance floor, unlit tiki torches surrounding it. She glanced at her cell phone as she turned on her Bluetooth and cringed. She didn't have much time.

She set the scene as quickly and quietly as possible, keeping one eye on the party behind her. She took a step back to examine her handy work before a loud pop caught her attention. She glanced over at the firework, smiling when she noticed the balloons floating away.

She slipped off her shoes, lit a sparkler, and began spinning, trying to calm her nerves. She kept reminding herself that she was sure of Lucas, of his feelings for her, but silencing years of insecurities wasn't going to happen in a matter of hours.

She lit another sparkler, dancing to the music as she chased the waves. The sand squished between her toes as she came to a stop, feeling the ocean water lapping against her calves. She held her sparkler the way a bride would carry her bouquet, indulging in the breathtaking view of the night sky as fireworks scattered all around her from various distances.

She was so enthralled, Riley didn't even notice Lucas until he was standing in the middle of her dancefloor. She turned around, waiting for him to notice her. She almost called out to him, but her heart caught in her throat. He looked so tall, so manly, standing there slightly out of breath. When he turned to face her, Riley was frozen by his blazing eyes trained on her.

He moved towards her with a determination that frightened her. She didn't know why, but for some strange reason, she felt like running away. She fought against the urge bubbling up inside her, repeating to herself over and over, 'he wants you, he chose you, he loves you.'

Before she knew what happened, he had taken the sparkler from her and had a firm hold on her arms. She wanted to reassure him, to tell him every thing she had been living with for the last 2 years, to make sure he knew that she wanted him, chose him, loved him, but before she had the chance, he wrapped her up and overtook her mouth with his own.

She had never felt frail before, never felt like a dainty, delicate flower. She had always been tall and gangly, always been a little awkward in her own body. It wasn't until recently that she felt like she was finally growing into her limbs like she wasn't all pointed elbows and jutting shins. She always felt jagged, like glass, hard as a rock, but easily breakable. Fragile, but never frail.

Standing flush against Lucas, his hard body towering over hers while their mouths fused together, for the first time in her life, Riley felt soft. Every inch of her body seemed to mold into his. They fit together so completely, so perfectly. If she had had any lingering doubts, this kiss shoved them back so far into the recesses of her mind, she wasn't worried anymore.

When they finally pulled away from each other, panting hard, Riley's lips were swollen and her body was tingling. She had never been so...fired up in her life. She felt like she was on the edge of something major swelling up inside her. Trying to calm her racing heart and mind, she licked her lips and stared wildly into Lucas' eyes, wanting to convey everything she was feeling but still being unable to speak.

Lucas groaned at the sight of her tongue, leaning back in to give her another kiss. He didn't stop kissing her, even as he walked her back to the blanket.

She took a seat, pulling him down with her. She gave him an impish smile, gesturing to the brilliant fireworks lighting up the night sky. With a large swallow, she cleared her throat, opened her mouth, but Lucas interrupted her before she even began.

"I would love to go to homecoming with you, but you do know homecoming is over 3 months away, right?" Lucas said with a wry grin.

Riley nodded. "I tried to think about where we truly went wrong, where I first let my insecurities speak louder than my faith in you. I love talking to you, Lucas, and I should have talked to you then. I should have told you-"

Lucas shook his head wildly, taking her hands in his. "I should have told you. I should have asked you, but, Riley, we've moved passed all that, at least I have. I believe in us, I believe in you, and I just wanted to know that you believe in us, too."

"I do, Lucas. I'm hopeful for us. I believe in you. I'm so sorry for pushing you away time and again. I'm so sorry that I ever doubted you."

Lucas took her in his arms. "To be fair, I've given you a reason to these last couple months, but what worries me isn't that you doubt me, it's that you doubt yourself, Princess. I don't expect you to change overnight. These doubts and fears and insecurities are a part of who you are, but when you feel these things, you need to trust in me, talk to me, and know that I am always going to have your back. No matter what happens between us, we're friends first, Riley. Best friends and I would never ever leave you behind."

"Best friends first," Riley agreed, her voice firm with certainty, she took a deep breath and continued on, sounding a little less sure, "Can you be patient with me while I work on this growing up stuff?"

Lucas nodded, looking deep into her eyes so she could see he was sincere. "Only if you can be patient with me, too."

"Definitely," Riley said, her eyes bright with pleasure as she brought his face to hers to give him a sweet, soft, simple, kiss, smiling delightedly the entire time.

Lucas' heart soared because she initiated the contact between them. He knew she had confidence brewing beneath the surface. She was so goofy and outspoken, especially when it came to her friends, she just had to turn that inward to herself. He knew once she broke free from the nagging doubt inside, she would be just as sure of herself as she was of her friends, and he knew he was a lucky man if he got to be around to see the unstoppable force she would become.

Lucas wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his front and resting his head against her hair, a small sigh of contentment escaping his lips as they watched the grand finale of fireworks.

"I really am sorry," Riley murmured.

"I know, Sunshine. I'm sorry, too. I should never have walked away in the middle of a fight," he said, turning her to face him. "I was just getting so caught up in my emotions. I didn't want to say or do anything stupid. Well, more stupid than what I had already said."

Riley furrowed her brow in confusion. "What did you say that was stupid, Lucas? If anyone was stupid, it was me. You were right, I was borrowing trouble."

Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Please, don't make me say it again, Riles. I'm embarrassed enough as it is. Can we just forget it ever happened?"

Riley shook her head. "Forget what? I don't understand."

"Riley..."

"Oh, you mean when you said..." Riley's eyes grew wide with understanding. "That you love me? Why would I want to forget that? Unless you didn't mean it? Did you just say it in the heat of the moment?"

Lucas put his head in his hands. "I don't know why I said it! I wish I could take it back. I don't want to push you too hard."

Riley grabbed his chin, carefully studying his face as she forced him to meet her eyes. Feeling incredibly vulnerable, but for once seeing that Lucas felt the same way, she asked, "Did you mean it? Do you love me, Lucas?"

* * *

 **AN: I make you wait so long and leave you like that!? I know, I know, but the next part is an important Riley chapter and I didn't want to rush it just to avoid the cliffhanger. Although I could argue that we all know how Lucas feels, so it's hardly a legitimate cliffhanger, right?**

 **I hope this chapter was worth the wait and gave a satisfying conversation without being too over the top. It's really hard to write conversations with these characters because MJ tends to write them almost too grown up to hit you over the head with the lesson of the week, so sometimes I feel cheesy, but when I watch scenes to get a feel for how Riley or Lucas would say things, I truly believe they would say them this way. If they seem ooc, I'm sorry. I feel like this is my first long story, and I'm learning a lot about how I want to write, but I'll be the first to admit these characters have gotten away from me. I never intended for this story to be as long or as meaty as it is.**

 **Hopefully, there is still an interest in this story. It's wrapping up quickly, and I already have 4 chapters in the works for my next story. I have had some requests for other stories that I want to honor some day, I just don't know when I'll get to them. Okay, enough rambling!**

 **See you soon!**


	36. Chapter 36

**AN: I spent most of the weekend tweaking this chapter, and I'm still not too satisfied with a few parts, but I'm happy with the overall product. We are down to the nitty gritty here, just wrapping up a few things. If you don't read my other stories, I explained a bit yesterday that I am having some mental health issues, so I apologize for the long wait. Please know I will never leave a story unfinished, and at this point, I may never consider a story finished because epilogues and one shots are amazing!**

 **Thank you so much for the continued support, it has really meant a lot to me!**

* * *

 **Friday, July 4th 11:00 p.m.**

"Lucas?" Riley asked when he didn't reply. "Please, tell me the truth."

"I don't want to," Lucas grumbled.

Riley pulled away, sitting back on her knees, her butt resting on the heels of her feet, with her hands in her lap. "Why not?"

Lucas readjusted his position until he was sitting the same way as Riley, except he stood tall with his thigh straight, reaching out to her. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"The secrets and lies make me uncomfortable, not you. Please, Lucas."

Lucas was silent as a war waged on inside him. He was terrified of both the options laid out before him. He could tell the truth, tell her that he loved her, and she could run away again, frightened by the weight of his feelings. He could lie, but if she found out he was lying, that would ruin them as well. So he stayed silent, swallowing the lump in his suddenly dry throat down as he stared into her begging eyes.

If he could just figure out what answer she was begging for, then he could give it to her, no matter the consequences, but he had learned over the past year that giving in to what he thought she wanted could be dangerous. He gave the idea of Maya a chance for her back in Texas, and it had led down a slippery slope of pain and lies all in the name of what Riley thought would make him happy.

"Riley..." he breathed out her name so softly she had to lean forward, waiting for him to continue speaking, but he didn't. He couldn't. He shook his head, hoping she could understand his struggle, that their connection could get them through this.

Riley bit her lip, indecision wracking her brain. She hated seeing him in pain, hated that their choices had led them to a place where this moment could be painful. With a sigh, she came to the conclusion that she had to fix this before yet another misunderstanding threatened to tear them a part.

"Lucas, I don't want to pressure you. If," she hesitated, looking back down at her lap. "If you didn't mean it, that's okay, but I just wanted to let you know... I don't want to forget you said it, if you did mean it. I have never told anyone that I loved them, in like a boyfriend romantic way-"

"I know!" Lucas pressed urgently, coming closer until they were a hairsbreadth apart. "And I would never-"

Riley held out a hand to stop him. "I just want you to understand how much that word means to me, Lucas. I was taught and shown by the people around me that love is precious, that it can overcome any test. I could never say it if I didn't mean it."

"Riley..." Lucas anxiously tried to interrupt her again, but Riley gave him a quick kiss and firmly shook her head.

"Let me finish," she insisted, grabbing both of his hands. She released a long sigh before continuing, "I don't want to forget you said those words. I want them to be true so badly. I want you to love me, Luc, because I love you. I've always loved you, even when I didn't want to, but I don't want to be scared anymore. I'm _not_ scared anymore. I'm so in love with you, Lucas."

She gave him a watery smile, trying to blink back tears as she stared at him, eyes filled with hope. Lucas let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he pulled her hands to meet his lips, kissing them frantically.

"Oh, Riles. Sunshine," he mumbled between kisses, feeling completely and utterly overwhelmed with joy. He couldn't even stop the words flowing from his mouth. "I love you, too. I really, really do. Knowing you, loving you, has made me be a better man. I'm not that angry person I was back in Texas. I didn't know how to deal with things back then. I didn't think there was a better way. With you, I'm the person I've always wanted to be."

Riley was crying in earnest now, her heart a battlefield of conflicting emotions, so elated to be in love for the very first time, but so sad for the lost little boy Lucas once was. It was hard to believe he would grow up to be the man in front of her, and even harder for her to imagine that she played even a small role in that transformation.

"I'm so glad I fell into your lap that day on the subway, Lucas. I hate to think about what would have happened to you if you had stayed angry all the time."

"Me, too, but, Princess," Lucas began, pulling her up to her feet and guiding her to the dance floor. "You had me from the moment I laid eyes on you. When you turned and smiled that one of a kind Riley smile at me, I was a goner."

Riley giggled, letting Lucas sway her gently around the small floor. "Us dancing to no music is beginning to be a habit."

"Any excuse to have you in my arms, Sunshine."

Riley wrapped her arms more firmly around his neck, resting her head against his chest, his heart pounding erratically in her ear.

"You don't need an excuse. I love you, Lucas," she insisted seriously. It felt so good to say after holding it in for so long.

Lucas rested his head on top of hers, his face aching from smiling so big. "I love you, too."

* * *

 **Saturday, July 5th 12:30 a.m.**

Lucas and Riley were still swaying in silence when Topanga walked over to their makeshift paradise. She gave herself a moment to observe her daughter with the handsome young man who had stolen her heart, allowing herself to be overwhelmed by how much her daughter had grown in what felt like a blink of her own eyes before clearing her throat loudly.

"The caterers are cleaning up. It won't be long before they head this way."

Lucas reluctantly released his hold on Riley with a wistful sigh, nodding his head. "Thanks, Mrs. Matthews, we will be back to the house soon."

Topanga clapped her hands together, gathering up the blankets and personal items. "I'll pick up this mess. Just hurry up and get back. You don't want your father to have to come looking for you."

Riley hummed in agreement, taking Lucas' hand and guiding him to the edge of the water. Both of them had lost their shoes hours ago, the waves gently lapping at their toes. They slowly ambled down the coast back toward the Minkus' house, neither wanting the night to end.

Lucas ran his thumb over the back of her hand, wishing he could hold onto this moment forever. He thought back to this time two years ago, when he was packing up his life in Texas to move here. His mom had reassured him that a fresh start was exactly what he needed. At the time, he had only a few close friends who saw past his short fuse, and he worried he would never find that in New York.

He was terrified that he would blow up on the first day of school and never even get the chance to show anyone that he could be a good person. When he revealed his fears to his mom, she had scheduled him a few appointments with a reputable child therapist in the city. At first, he didn't say much, but after he met Riley, he wanted to believe his fresh start was possible. So, he worked really hard in therapy, answering her questions and unpacking his anger. He even went back to Texas and made things right with the people there. For a while in seventh grade, he thought maybe that's where he belonged. Those people had already seen his worst and accepted him anyway, so he made an effort to go home as much as his parents would allow.

He wasn't sure when it happened, but when his friends told him he was their moral compass, he realized his fresh start worked. Somewhere along the line, he had become the person he always wanted to be, and at first, it was really hard work, but after a while, with the help of his new friends, it was second nature. He wasn't an angry person trying to be happy anymore. He was truly a happy person. Sure, he had his problems still, but Riley made everything better. When he won the election for class president, he realized that maybe a start wasn't all he was looking for- he wanted a beginning _and_ a middle in New York.

So he pulled away from his friends in Texas, but when Zay moved to New York as well, he realized he could have both. The visit to Texas seemed like the perfect way to combine his love of both places and people. Of course, he had been completely wrong, and everything blew up in his face.

When they got back from Texas and Riley pulled away from him, he worried he would revert back to his old ways without her calming guidance. Maya was fun and Lucas knew she had a good heart underneath all that tough girl exterior, but she had the tendency to push people's buttons. The only reason she rarely got to him was because of Riley.

As much as he hated the last few months, it was good for him to realize that he had changed, for him, not just for Riley. She may have been the catalyst, but if she disappeared from his life, he wouldn't immediately go back to punching walls and causing fights.

He made the choice to be with Riley, not because he needed her to be good, but because he just needed her. He could live without her, but he most certainly didn't want to.

Looking over at her now, he was amazed at how even though she was his favorite person to talk to, she was his favorite person to be quiet with as well. During his silent contemplation on their walk, she didn't press him. She didn't seem uncomfortable or annoyed, she was just here for him. He didn't know how long they had been standing at the foot of the back porch, but by now the only people still outside where the caterers and Mrs. Minkus, who was making sure every last bit of evidence of the party had vanished from the beach.

Lucas spared them a glance, making absolutely certain that Mr. Matthews wasn't lurking in the shadows, before giving Riley a gentle kiss on her forehead, thanking her for giving him her implicit strength.

"I love you, Riley Matthews," he whispered.

Riley hugged him tightly, taking in the intoxicating mix of the scent of the ocean and pure Lucas on his skin. "This has been the best night of my life, Lucas. I won't ever forget it."

"It's not over yet. I still have to walk you to your door," Lucas said with a grin, guiding her up the stairs.

Once they got inside, his plans of a good night kiss were thwarted, as Cory, Shawn, and Maya all stood in a row with their arms crossed, two of them smirking evilly.

"Do you know what time it is, young man?" Maya teased.

* * *

 **AN: My babies! They have grown so much! I'm so proud of them for talking things out and becoming stronger together and individually! I'm thinking about doing a series that explores and creates a more in-depth backstory for Lucas, but I think it will involve a lot of research into anger management, mental health, and rewatching the whole series for clues about Lucas, which I really don't have time for at the moment. I tried to touch on** **a few my ongoing thoughts here, but ultimately this story has been about Riley and her journey, so I didn't want to go too far down that path.**

 **Thanks again for the support! Let me know what you think! See you soon-ish!**


	37. Chapter 37

**AN: It's been a long few weeks, and this chapter isn't my favorite. I'm starting to realize that my weakness is figuring out how to end a story! One, maybe two more chapters! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Saturday, July 5th 8:30 a.m.**

Lucas woke up with a bright smile on his face. He and Riley were in love, and not even the theatrics of her father when they got back to the house could change that. He sighed, rubbing his face as he remembered Cory's high pitched voice from the night before.

Maya egging him on didn't help much. Thankfully, one mention of Zay and Shawn stomped off in search of him, causing Maya to flounce off after him, whining in a voice that hinted she was actually enjoying the fatherly attention.

Cory lost some of his energy when it was just the three of them, but not enough to back off entirely. Lucas reassured the man again that his intentions were honorable and that he loved his daughter.

That wasn't the best choice of words. Cory went nuclear when Riley confirmed that they were in love, clutching his chest and shouting for Topanga. By the time Topanga had finally calmed him down, the whole house was up and involved in the drama.

During the madness that ensued, Lucas took the opportunity to give Riley a kiss on the cheek and slip to his bedroom unnoticed. Sometime later, Zay came in laughing about how Shawn and Cory were sleeping in the hallway in front of the girls' room. Lucas had poked his head out the door, just enough to confirm his friend's story, rolling his eyes at the two men before he settled into his bed for the night.

Thankfully, neither man was present in the hallway this morning as he made his way to the bathroom. He had been hoping to wake up early enough to sneak off to the boardwalk with Riley for a breakfast date, but that plan was probably out the window.

They only had one more day here at the beach house, and Lucas wanted to make it special. He was hoping that after last night all of Riley's doubts would be silenced, but knowing her as well as he did, he wanted to make extra sure that she was as secure in their relationship as possible before they headed back to the city.

After his shower, he rushed to his room to get ready for the day, putting on a pair of board shorts and a blue v-neck t-shirt. He made his way downstairs, a smile blossoming on his face when he found his girlfriend, laying on her stomach on a chaise lounge in a bright blue bikini.

"How many of these did you bring?" Lucas asked softly, running his fingers along the tie at the base of her neck as he sat on the edge of her seat.

Startled, Riley jerked up, banging her head against his chest. She recovered quickly, tossing him a coy smile over her shoulder. "As many as it takes."

"To what?" Lucas murmured. "Drive me crazy?"

"Is it working?" She whispered back as she sat up, scooting over to make room for him next to her.

Lucas nodded earnestly, adjusting the chair so they could recline back together. Satisfied with the position, he wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning them back so her head could rest on his chest. He bit back a groan at the feel of her sunbaked skin under his fingers and the overwhelming sweet scent of her hair.

"God, I love you," he sighed, closing his eyes in contentment. "And I love that I can say that whenever I want now."

Riley giggled as she twisted in his arms to face him. "I love you, too... And I love when you tell me that you love me."

They were lost in each other's gaze until they heard Zay and Maya making overexaggerated gagging noises. When they had the other couple's attention, Maya groaned. "I'm so glad we don't have to even up whatever that nonsense you two are doing. I would choke."

Riley pouted, while Lucas glared at Maya over the top of her head.

"What? Too soon?" Maya teased her eyes wide and innocent.

Zay huffed, trying to sound as bored, annoyed, and put out as possible. "Yes. It will always be too soon. The triangle and everything associated with it needs to return to the pits of hell where it belongs."

Lucas nodded emphatically. "We all are where we're supposed to be. There's no need to rehash our mistakes."

"Hey," Maya said, hands raised. "I'm glad the triangle happened... Well, sort of. We have no lingering doubts about what could've been, and we all came out closer and stronger in the end."

Lucas nodded his head in agreement.

Riley tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I don't know... I still have some doubts."

"What?" Lucas shouted outraged.

"I'm just saying, Zay and I never had the opportunity to resolve our feelings for one another," she teased.

"You're right about that one, darling," Zay joined in. "I, for one, think we need to spend the next six months overanalyzing every moment of our friendship for deeper meaning, and in the process, everything I do with Maya, I need to do with you, and everything you do with Lucas, you should do with me."

Maya was fuming until Riley turned to her with wide innocent eyes. "What? Too soon?" she asked.

The four friends broke out in laughter. "When you say it like that, Honey, we sound ridiculous."

"We were ridiculous, Peaches."

Lucas jumped in. "We all were just trying to do right by each other. These feelings we have are overwhelming and confusing. I don't think we should beat ourselves up about what it took to get here, and I'm very happy with where we ended up."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Changing the subject, Lucas asked, "Where are Smackle and Farkle?"

Maya gestured to the beach. "Eh, they're somewhere out there, doing something with science and crustaceans."

Riley scoffed. "They're probably just making out."

"Speaking of making out," Zay began, bringing Maya closer to him. "We're going to go find our place to do science and crustaceans."

Maya giggled, which caused Lucas to raise his eyebrows. If he had any worries that Maya was forcing herself to feel things for Zay, that giggle eased his mind. Maya wasn't ever like that with him. She grabbed a blanket off the railing and dragged Zay off toward the beach.

Left alone with Riley once again, Lucas said, "So..."

"So..." she giggled. "Hi."

"Hi."

"Hi," she whispered against his lips, giving him a soft kiss. "We better go find our own patch of sand before my dad realizes we've been left alone."

Lucas shook his head, leading her in the opposite direction. "I was thinking we could go back to the boardwalk. We could play some games and talk. As much as I would love to spend the morning hiding from your father and sneaking kisses, I've really missed talking to you these past couple months, Riley."

Riley gave him a sweet smile. "Let me go change, and I'm sure Frankie will take us wherever we want to go."

Lucas grabbed her hand as she walked away. "Do you have to change?"

Laughing, Riley gave him a kiss before she skipped up to her room.

* * *

 **Saturday, July 5th 6:20 p.m.**

Lucas and Riley spent the majority of the day strolling up and down the boardwalk, playing games, eating junk food, and riding rides. Riley could hardly believe that five short days ago they were at this same carnival, unable to fully express their affection for each other.

She didn't hesitate to grab his hand as they lazily made their way to the Ferris wheel, and unlike last time, they did share a kiss at the top of the ride.

For the last few hours, they had been holed up in a corner booth of a cafe, talking about every little thing they had wanted to say to each other for the last few months. Riley was shocked when she received a text from both Maya and her father, wondering when they were planning on coming back to the house.

"Oh, Lucas! I didn't realize it had gotten so late. We better head back to the house for dinner," Riley said, sounding disappointed as she glanced down at her phone. She really didn't want their conversation to end.

Lucas sighed, feeling just as disappointed. "Do we have to?" He whined. "I love having you all to myself."

Riley giggled, feeling herself getting lost in his eyes. She tried to shake it off, but sometimes his green eyes were downright hypnotizing. "I guess we don't _have_ to go home just yet. I'll tell them we are going to have dinner here. Just the two of us."

"Just the two of us. I like the sound of that," Lucas said, grinning as he leaned in to give her a kiss. Pulling away, he continued, "But if you really want to go back, we can. I won't be upset if you want to spend time with Maya."

Riley shook her head. Given the choice, she knew who needed her most right now. "Maya has had me for half my life. She can spare me for a night or two."

They decided to eat at a little hole in the wall pizzeria, and Riley enjoyed being Lucas's date instead of just his friend. He held open the door for her, pulled out her chair, and even paid for their meal. She felt like a princess.

"Lucas, you don't always have to pay for everything," Riley began unsteadily. The entire day had been going so well, she didn't want to have an argument.

"I know, but I want to. I'm courting you."

Riley giggled at the archaic term, imagining what Maya would have to say about that one. "Courting me? Lucas, you already have me."

Lucas kissed her temple as he opened the door to the van. Frankie had just arrived to bring them back to the house. "I know, Sunshine, but the best way to keep you is to show you how much I appreciate you and how special I think you are."

She felt her face heat up at his words. "Thank you, Lucas, but money isn't the only way you can do those things. I just don't want you to be broke all the time."

Lucas let out a full-bellied laugh, wrapping his arms around her after they both got settled in their seats. "Okay, well, when I take you out on dates, I'm going to want to pay for everything. Today, I asked you out, so it's on me, okay?"

Riley nodded. "Well, when we get back to the city, can I take you on a date?"

"You can take me on a date whenever you want, Riles."

"Good. I want you to feel appreciated and special, too," Riley leaned into his him embrace when he tightened his hold on her. "And since I asked you, the next time we go out is on me!"

"As you wish, Princess."

Riley nodded her head in satisfaction. "Darn skippy!"

When they got back to the house, nothing could ruin their mood, and it seemed as though Cory had been lectured into submission by Topanga, at least for the evening. The six friends cozied up in front of the tv, watching mindless reality shows and laughing the butts off late into the night.

* * *

 **AN: I just wanted to show that things were leveling off, and the kids are starting to have normal, healthy, happy relationships. I imagine Lucas and Riley to be an obscenely fluffy couple once they get through all the drama and insecurity. Let me know what you think, and thanks so much for sticking with me for this story. It's hard to believe I've been writing it for over a year!**


	38. Chapter 38

**AN: This is it, people! The last chapter! I struggled with a couple of scenes, but overall I'm happy with it! I'm calling this story complete, although I fully intend on revisiting this universe some day. I want to thank each and every one of you for all your support, kind words, thoughts, views, follows, favorites, and especially reviews. When I started this story, I thought it would be a couple chapters long, and I never thought it would receive the amount of love it got.**

 **Now here we are over a year later, and this story is over 90,000 words long! I'll admit I wasn't prepared for a story of this magnitude, and I let my frustration over the last season take this story into a completely different direction. While I'm proud of Tipping the Scales, this one was a learning experience, and I'm hoping to be better in the future. I have been working on my very first AU. It's called Kismet Imprint, and if you haven't checked it out yet, please do!**

 **More at the bottom.**

* * *

 **Sunday, July 6th 7:15 a.m.**

Despite staying up well past 10 p.m., Riley was up before dawn. She had her own little ritual that she did on the last day of their beach trip every year. She always woke up super early, enjoyed a morning run along the shore, and swam for a bit before anyone else got up. Then she would take advantage of the enormous soaker tub in Farkle's wing of rooms. Once she was good and relaxed, she would lay out on a blanket on the beach, soaking up the sun and the silence for as long as she possibly could.

It was a nice tradition. One no one else even knew she did, except for maybe Farkle, but he wouldn't dare interrupt her peace. So when someone came up behind her under the water and goosed her thigh, she justifiably freaked out, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Zay!" she screeched. "You scared me!"

Laughing, Zay asked, "Don't you know it's dangerous to go out swimming in the ocean by yourself?"

"I'm careful. I never go out past where I can touch, and if the current is too strong, I don't swim. I just walk," she replied, treading water as she drifted further out, now that she knew someone else was outside with her.

"What are you doing up so early anyway, Sugar?"

"I always try to get as much as out of my last day here as possible. This vacation hasn't been very vacation-y. I usually spend a lot more time in the ocean."

"Sorry us Texas boys ruined your plans," he teased, scrunching up his nose.

Riley giggled. "Trust me, I wouldn't trade the end result for anything in the world. Don't tell Maya, but you are probably my best friend."

Zay raised his eyebrows, trying to sound scandalized. "You want me to keep a secret of that magnitude from my girlfriend! Riley Matthews! I can't believe you."

Riley shook her head, laughing as she dunked him. When he came back up for air, she responded, "Maya's my best friend, too, but she's also my sister. Lucas is my best friend, but he's my boyfriend, too. Our feelings get in the way of us being just friends."

Zay nodded in understanding. "You're my best friend, too, Cotton Candy Face. Despite all the drama and insanity, this summer has been the best summer of my life. You gave me my brother back, and without you, I would never have Maya."

They both started heading back to shore as they spoke. Zay gave her a self-deprecating grin. "I know what Maya and I have isn't the end all be all, soulmates, goo goo eye crap that you two have, but for the first time in a long time, I'm happy. After Lucas left Texas, I never thought I would have a best friend again. Now I have 5."

"We are pretty lucky, aren't we?"

Zay slung his arm over her shoulder as they reached the shore. "I'm just glad all of you finally pulled your heads out of your rears. I was about to do plan some sitcom hijinks of trapping y'all in a room until you reached a solution!"

Riley's laugh was cut off at the sight of her boyfriend grinning down at her from the deck steps. She broke away from Zay and ran to him, jumping into his arms. He caught her, gasping in surprise at the sudden feeling of being soaked by the cold water.

"Why is everyone up so early? How am I supposed to have my me time?" Riley teased.

"Hey, just say the word, Princess, and I'll leave you alone," Lucas teased right back, attempting to release her, but she clenched her thighs around his waist and tightened her arms around his neck.

"Nu-uh, Cowboy, you're stuck with me."

Putting his hands underneath her bottom, he distracted her with a kiss as he walked them back down to the water. Once he was about waist-deep, he pulled back with a wide grin, throwing her into the water.

Riley came up sputtering, "Lucas Eugene Friar!"

"That's not my-"

"This means war!" She shrieked, launching herself at the blonde in a desperate attempt at dunking him under water.

Zay rolled his eyes at the couple and left in search of food or his girlfriend, whichever he found first was fine.

The couple didn't even notice his absence as the chased each other in the water, splashing and dunking one another, although it was clear to Riley that Lucas was letting her win. After one more well-timed splash, she pushed off the floor of the ocean and swam away as fast as she could, struggling to breathe between the exertion and her own giggling.

Lucas gave chase, his long arms and legs making short work of the little lead she had created. He reached out and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back against his front as he tread water.

"Got you," he whispered, loosening his hold enough so she could spin around in his arms.

"You do," Riley whispered back, clinging to him when she realized she couldn't touch the ground anymore. "You caught me."

"City girl, I've been chasing you for so long, it was bound to happen sooner or later."

Riley leaned in, but just as their lips were about to touch, she hit the water, splashing Lucas in the face. Lucas was surprised enough to release her, so she took off back toward the shore. So lost in each other, neither teen noticed Topanga or Cory clutching coffee mugs and watching them from the railing of the deck.

"See, Cory, our daughter picked good," Topanga said triumphantly, continuing to an ongoing debate the two of them had been having for the past two years. "He is going to take care of her, and she'll bring out the best in him."

Cory shook his head, taking his wife's coffee mug from her hand and setting it down on the railing before he took her in his arms. "I always knew Riley would bring out the best in him, she brings out the best in everyone, but Topanga, I'm just now starting to see that he brings out the best in her. They'll take care of each other."

Topanga leaned back against Cory's chest as he came to rest his chin on her shoulder, both of them watching the couple with nostalgic smiles on their faces. "Gosh, Cory, were we ever that young and in love?"

Cory feigned shock, tickling her sides. "We're still that young and in love!"

With a mischievous smirk, Topanga caught his roaming hands in hers, kissing them before she teased, "Then I guess you'll just have to catch me!"

As she took off in the direction of their bedroom laughing, Cory gave one last glance towards his daughter. "We did good," he mumbled quietly to himself. Louder he said, "I'm coming for ya, Topanga!"

He chased her all the way back to their room, being sure to close and lock the door when he got there.

* * *

 **Sunday, July 6th 12:30 p.m.**

Each couple, teen and adult, spent most of the morning alone wrapped up in the bliss that only came from being happy and in love on a beautiful summer day, the sun shining down on each of them.

Grace prepared one last huge buffet-style brunch, trying to use as much of the groceries she bought as possible. The kids took their plates down to the fire pit, while the adults congregated on the patio furniture on the expansive deck.

"I can't believe our vacation is over so soon," Smackle said as the group watched the waves.

"I can. It feels like we've been here forever," Zay replied.

"So much has happened!" Riley agreed, leaning into Lucas who planted a kiss on her forehead.

"I, for one, am ready to get back to the real world. I miss my parents, and I can't wait to take my girlfriend on a date in the city," Lucas said as he played with Riley's hair.

Maya started gagging. "Listen, Huckleberry, I'm super excited for the two of you and all, but you're going to have to get a handle on your goopyness. I can't with all of this nonsense."

Laughing, Zay pulled his girlfriend to him. "Hey, Sug, a little goopyness is a good thing. I fully intend on embracing the goop."

Maya scrunched up her nose as Zay kissed her cheek. "I guess I can deal with a little goopy, but just a little!" she said, holding up a finger to the new couple for emphasis.

"I love it here," Riley sighed. "We should come back every year."

"Uh, Honey, we do come back every year."

"Oh, well, we should keep doing that then, Peaches."

All six friends nodded in agreement.

"Let's make a pact right now. No matter where we are or what we're doing. We'll meet up back here on the 4th of July every year," Farkle, who had been quietly studying his friends up until this point, said. "Even if we all break up and go in different directions, we'll always come back to this point and figure it out."

Every member of the group murmured in agreement before Lucas spoke, "There's something about this place that just brings everything into focus."

"It's magic," Riley agreed as she stared off into the horizon, trying to commit everything about this moment to memory. The feel of the sun on her face, the smell of the ocean, Lucas' warmth and love encircling her, surrounded by her chosen family.

When she arrived at the beach last week, she thought for sure they were broken beyond repair. She was ready to flee in the other direction. So much had changed since that first afternoon, and change could be painful, but where they ended up was.. amazing. Separately they were six flawed individuals, but together, together, they were perfect. She sighed in satisfaction, melting into Lucas' embrace as she enjoyed the peace and stillness, each of her friends quiet in their own contentment.

* * *

 **Sunday, July 6th 4:00 p.m.**

Riley hugged Smackle and Farkle as her father loaded up their car. The two geniuses would be staying at the beach house for one more night, while the rest of them were headed home with her parents and Maya's mom.

She giggled to herself thinking about how a few days ago she had planned on begging Zay to ride with her. She didn't think either boy would agree to that right now. On second thought, seeing the looks Shawn was shooting him, Zay might welcome the chance to escape the grilling he was about to receive.

Riley pulled him to the side to give him a pep talk. "Shawn's just being protective. He's never done this before."

Zay nodded. "I'll charm him soon enough. Just probably not this soon. This car ride is going to suck."

"I'm going to miss you," the brunette admitted.

"You're going to see me tomorrow. We are literally going to be following your car. I'll be within eyesight at all times. We might even stop and have dinner together if traffic is bad."

Riley shrugged. "I'm still going to miss you."

She turned to Maya and gave her a dramatic hug, both girls squeezing the life out of each other. "I'll miss you most of all, Peaches!"

"I can't go on without you, honey!" Maya wailed. "Leave the bay window unlocked, okay?"

Shawn rolled his eyes. "You two have been together all day every day for months now. One night isn't going to kill you."

Maya stared at him as if he had grown two heads. "Have you met us? Leave it unlocked, Honey."

"Always, Peaches," Riley responded seriously as she slowly pulled away from the blonde, waiting until the last second to release her hand.

"You always leave your window unlocked?" Cory shrieked. "That's not safe! We live in New York City for crying out loud!"

Riley shrugged, waving goodbye to her friends one last time as Lucas opened the car door for her. She climbed in the backseat, scooting over so he could enter through the same side. Instead of taking the window seat, she settled into the middle seat, Lucas arm automatically coming over her shoulder. A glare from Cory caused him to release her, so Riley grabbed his hand, clutching it tightly in her lap as she leaned into his shoulder. She matched her father's glare with a glare of her own until he turned around and started the car.

Topanga laughed. "No one is buying your macho man routine, Cory. We all know you approve of Lucas. You admitted as much this morning."

"Topanga! Ixnay on revealing my innermost thoughts! I have to be an intimidating authority figure!"

Lucas laughed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Matthews, but you're not very intimidating."

"Humor him, Lucas," Topanga called over her shoulder.

"You're terrifying, Mr. Matthews," Lucas deadpanned as Riley giggled behind her hand next to him.

"Darn tooting!" Cory shouted. "Everyone buckled up? Y'all ready for this trip?"

Lucas squeezed Riley's hand, looking deep into her eyes. "I'm ready," he said his words heavy with a deeper meaning.

Riley gave him her sweetest, most genuine, heart-melting smile before murmuring softly, "As long as we're together, I'm ready for anything this journey throws at us."

As the cars pulled away, Farkle and Smackle stood arm in arm, waving at their friends. Smackle smiled a self-satisfied smile. "I'm so getting my pie!"

Farkle raised his eyebrow at her. "If you want some pie, my dear, I'm sure Grace will-"

"No, love, two boys owe me a pie, and I expect them to deliver!"

Farkle laughed, giving her a hug. "I think we're all going to be okay, don't you?"

Smackle nodded with certainty as the two cars disappeared from view. "We're all going to be just fine."

* * *

 **AN: What did you guys think? Please leave a review. Even if you have never reviewed a story before. Even if all you have to say is loved it or hated it. (Although if you hated it, why would you still be reading at this point?) I'd really appreciate it!**

 **Something I didn't expect when I originally sat down to write this story was the potential for an amazing Ziley friendship. I wanted Riley to have someone, but with what I wanted to explore, it couldn't be Lucas, Maya, or Farkle. My first thoughts of this story had Riley leaning heavily on Smackle, but I quickly changed it to Zay to add an element of jealousy. That one decision completely changed the makeup of the group and the direction of these characters. Hopefully, I wrote it in a believable way, but I'm almost more proud of that relationship than any other, so I had to give it a little love here.**

 **This chapter took a long time because I really struggled with writing Cory/Topanga! I wanted to show that despite Cory's drama queenness, he really does like Lucas and approve of him without having him show all his cards to the teenagers.**

 **I can't say enough about how much I love the heart of this group. At their best, these six kids are unbelievably amazing. I really and truly wish we could have more episodes. I really and truly wish the triangle didn't take up so much of season 2 and season 3. It was a disservice to the characters and the fans. Making sense of it, ending it in a satisfying way, is damn near impossible, but I tried my best. I hope I did this group justice, and I hope you guys continue to follow me on the other paths I plan on taking them down. Thanks for reading!**


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